


I Would Do Anything For You

by Rrikey



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Fluff, M/M, Rating May Change, Romance, adam's dead, and in love but dumb, because he sucks, established fair game, faunus exist but no grimm, the bees are soft criminals, weiss schnee is a brat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22996255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rrikey/pseuds/Rrikey
Summary: "You're going to replace me, huh?" Blake whispers coyly, enjoying the way the sun's rays ignite Yang's hair into a beautiful golden glow."No.” she pauses and sends a grin at Blake that makes the faunus melt. "I don't think I could ever do that."Blake and Yang are best friends and partners in crime. In order to survive, the two have learned that sometimes the laws of Remnant must be broken. However, after one eventful night, Blake and Yang have to see how far they must go to protect each other. Yang struggles to escape her family's last name, and Blake risks everything to save her best friend; even if it means dealing with a certain heiress. During this journey, both girls realize the love they have for each other is worth every obstacle thrown their way.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 34
Kudos: 118





	1. A Hard Knock Life

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” a large man yelled. Jerking out his arm, the human grabbed the culprit’s wrist and leaned down near her face.

“You think I’m some kind of idiot? If you’re gonna pickpocket, at least do it right, you dumb animal,” he growls at the faunas girl in his grip.

Looking into the human’s eyes, Blake Belladonna presses her lips into a fine line.

_Well that could have gone better. I could have sworn I didn’t brush up against him. Damn it, there's a cop over there too. Please Yang, don’t do anything stupid. Or I really I should say, please Yang don’t come in and try to beat this guy up._

The man’s grip tightens, and he looks around before spotting a mall officer. “Hey buddy, this girl tried-”

“Excuse me! Sir?” A bright voice calls out. 

When the man turns around, he’s met with lilac eyes and brilliant blonde hair. Dressed in a cream colored crop top, a brown cut-off jacket, and ripped white wash jeans, she is definitely easy on the eyes, proven entirely evident on the way the man skims over her body with great interest. The girl gives him a sheepish grin, then steps even closer to him.

“I’m so sorry for her. My friend… she’s from the outskirts of Menagerie, you see. This is her first time being around a crowd of people like this. Before today, she hadn't even been to a mall before!” She exclaimed. 

Blake rolls her eyes at that comment. _Thanks Yang. I’m an ignorant faunus girl who’s never left her tribe in the woods. Wonderful._

The man faltered for a moment but persists, “look sweetheart, I know a pickpocket when I see one. A human girl like you shouldn’t be hanging around with this animal.”

While it’s only for a second, Blake notices her friend twitch at that comment. She’s sure she’s the only one to catch Yang’s change in expression. Afterall, the pair can read each other like a book.

Pressing closer, Yang positions herself under the man and flutters her eyelashes. She cocks her head to the side and murmurs softly, “please let her go. I promise she didn’t mean any harm.”

_There she is. My knight in shining armor._

Blake smirks as she watches the human’s reaction to Yang’s acting. They’ve had a lot of practice over the years. Two years to be exact. Even though it often feels like they’ve known each other for a lifetime. 

Ever since they were seventeen years old and living by themselves, the two girls never left one another’s side. Two years ago during one of Vale’s harshest winters, Blake escaped from the notorious gang, The White Fang, and from her monstrous ex-boyfriend. The streets didn’t offer comfort, friends, or a home to come back to at the end of the day. Those things did not come into Blake Belladonna’s life until she met Yang Xiao Long. 

The day the two girls met changed the course of their lives forever. Having been caught by a cop for pickpocketing an arrogant businessman, Blake ended up hiding in the alley behind Junior’s Dance Club. She sat on the ground with her hands in her head, breathing frantically. Fleeing from the police drained the girl of all her energy; leaving her with no hope of escape. Her cheeks were numb from the cold and her stomach felt as though it was caving in on itself. 

_The cops are coming. They’re almost here and they’ll take me back to him. I can’t go back. I can’t. Not again._

Suddenly, the backdoor to the club flew open, and a mass of blonde hair appeared. Yang’s face was set in a deep scowl at the voice chiding her in the background. One comment in particular set her over the edge and the blonde nearly combusted. 

_“Alright, alright! Just shut up already, Junior! I’m on it, okay? God, you’re infuriating!” Yang growled and walked down the steps into the alley. Her teeth grinded against each other, and it took every ounce of her willpower to not punch the side of the building._

_Noticing she wasn’t alone, Yang stopped and locked eyes with Blake who turned her head toward the commotion. Neither said a word as they stared at one another. Why did they pause for so long? Gold stared at lilac and lilac stared back at gold. The sirens wailed closer, and Yang snapped out of whatever kind of spell she was in. Blake watched her expression change and cocked her head to the side; waiting for an answer. Waiting for something she didn't even know she wanted at that moment.  
_

_Communication. Even if it’s non-verbal. They always knew what the other was thinking practically all of the time._

_“Here-” Yang pointed her thumb toward the door- “get inside. Hurry!”_

Ever since that day, the two girl’s developed a relationship that meant more than words could describe. They don’t need to speak when they swindle people, when they wake from vivid nightmares of their past, or when they hold each other during the quiet moments of their day. It’s a strange friendship, but it’s one they are both severely grateful for. 

Because without their unique relationship, Blake can’t imagine what kind of hell she would be living in right now. Although, this lifestyle currently wasn’t... ideal. The human’s unforgiving hand was definitely going to leave behind some bruising. 

Focusing back on the situation in front of her, Blake studies the man’s expression. He won’t last much longer with Yang’s antics. Yang’s laying on the “pretty girl” persona awfully hard. She’s surprised but also proud of Yang for not just running in and beating the guy into the ground. It’s funny to Blake to see her friend play the role as the sweet, lovely human girl. If only he knew the damage Yang could do with her bare hands.

“Okay-” he eventually relents after a long stare down with the blonde- “I’ll let her go. But if this **mutt** gives you any trouble, you better tell someone. I’d hate to see a pretty thing like you get mixed up into trouble because of a faunas.”

With that statement, the fat man loosens his grip on Blake’s arm completely. He walks away grumbling to himself about “trash tainting this town”. Leave it to society to fail in all areas that involve racial acceptance. She slumps to the ground momentarily, then begins to stand while brushing dust off of her clothes. Yang steps forward and offers her hand.

“God, I was two seconds away from breaking that guy’s nose. You did get his money, right? Please tell me you took his money? I at least want the satisfaction of knowing his wallet’s empty.” Yang said while she bounces on her toes excitedly.

“No. No cash this time,” Blake said sadly while Yang deflated. However, her face splits into a wide smile. “I got his credit card.”

“Ha! Yes! Serves that bastard right. He’s going to be wondering why he spent a thousand dollars on room service now. I’m ordering everything I see off of the menu tonight.” Yang chuckles as she snakes an arm around Blake’s waist. The two make their way out of the mall and into the parking lot.

“A thousand dollars on room service? Oh please. Don’t act like you’re not going to try and buy every Achievement Men song on your scroll before you even think about food,” Blake playfully retorts as she bumps her head into Yang’s shoulder.

Gasping, Yang breaks away from their embrace and exclaims, “you act like that’s a bad thing! You can’t deny they're the best boy-band of this decade! You can’t can you? I knew it!” 

“We’re literally in the third month of this decade,” Blake deadpans. “It’s the first week of march.”

“And? My point still stands. I’m going to buy life-size cutouts of all of the members and pretend they’re my friends. You’ll be replaced.”

Blake lets out a laugh and rolls her eyes. They don’t have an easy life, but Blake couldn’t be any happier than when Yang makes her laugh. She looks down at Yang’s swinging arm and stares at her hand. The blonde’s laughing subsides for a moment whenever she feels Blake’s fingers lace together with her own. Yang looks at her friend’s eyes and offers a smile smile while gently squeezing her hand. 

“You’re going to replace me, huh?” Blake whispers coyly, enjoying the way the late sun rays ignite Yang’s hair into a beautiful golden glow. 

“No.” she pauses and sends a grin at Blake that makes her melt. “I don’t think I could ever do that.”

\----

“And? What did she look like? Uh huh. So, you saw her from the ninth story of your apartment building, but you are certain she was carrying a pair of diamond earrings in her right hand? And her hair color may have been black or a really dark red, but you aren’t for sure. Don’t call me again.”

Clover Ebi sighed tiredly and placed the police department’s telephone back into its reciever. This was the third person today to waste his time with their false accounts. Vale Police Department’s phones ring nearly everyday with people hoping to participate in arguably the biggest case in Vale’s history. Some call for their fifteen minutes of fame, some call as a practical joke, and some call because they actually believe they saw Raven Branwen in the flesh.

Four years ago, Clover decided that he would be the one to track down the biggest crime leader in all of Remnant. However, at the time when he first took the case, the Branwen gang did not even have its name that it has today. All people knew was that a gang of miscreants ran wild in the streets and left the citizens of Remnant terrified to leave their houses.

  
The gang members began to be referred to as “The Bandits” because of their recklessness and ferocity. Newspaper titles asked in bold letters, “WHEN WILL THE MYSTERIOUS LEADER OF REMNANT 'S BANDITS BE REVEALED?”.

The answer seemed unsolvable, until Clover Ebi became the first and only person in the world to find the notorious gang leader and provide a photograph.

  
While strolling the streets one day for clues, Clover spotted a dark figure step out into a nearby alley. She was tall with jet-black hair that reached to her hips. Curious, Clover discreetly followed the woman to an abandoned warehouse. Inside sat Roman Torchwick and his silent accomplice. They greeted the woman but he could see the look of fear on both of the criminals faces. Looking back on this, he realizes how stupid it was to infiltrate a drug lord’s warehouse unarmed and completely alone. He laid low out of sight and ease dropped on the criminals’ conversation. Right before he left, he pulled out his cell phone and snapped a picture. Later that night, Clover arrived back to the station with a picture of the intimidating woman and the knowledge that she’s the one they had been looking for. While this was an amazing start, Clover would not have been able to succeed further without a certain crow.

Qrow Branwen, a stubborn drunk, transferred to Vale’s police department two months after Clover’s break through. His transcripts were questionable, and his prior experience mostly laid in bounty hunting. Clover smiles at the memory of an angry Qrow Branwen muttering expletives as he entered the police station. He smelled of hard liquor and cigarette smoke, but somehow appealed to the other man.

_“What are you looking at, pretty boy?” Qrow slurred as he sat down._

_“Just the man who ran into the glass door on his way in here.”_

_“That glass is too damn clean. What do you do? Scrub the windows all day?”_

_“Well no not exactly. But, that can be your job if you want it to be, Branwen.”_

After explaining to Qrow the basics of being a private investigator for Vale, Clover sat down to explain the case at hand. Of all of the investigators on Remnant, he had been the first to develop any kind of a lead on the lethal gang. Not expecting for the man in front of him to help him any, Clover lazily held up the picture he captured of the woman while looking down at his paperwork. Moments passed by, and he did not receive a reaction; causing him to look up in confusion. The drunk man no longer looked dazed. In fact, his red eyes widened and his expression could not easily be read. Clover cleared his throat and looked Qrow in the eyes.

_“Do you know anything about this woman?”_

_“Ha. Well… you could say that.”_

_“Oh?”_

_“That’s my twin sister, Raven Branwen.”_

_“You’re saying your twin sister is possibly the most dangerous person in the entire world?”_

_“Hey, I’ve been known to have some pretty bad luck. I’m not too surprised by anything anymore.”_

Finally after years of mayhem, the world had a name and a face for their fears. And, Clover finally found someone he felt he could start a life with.

Qrow adapted to the job surprisingly fast and pushed to change his life for the better. With the help of Marrow, Elm, Harriet, Vine, and especially Clover, Qrow Branwen has been a sober man for three years. The men’s relationship developed casually and led to Clover confidently asking out Qrow to dinner one day after work. Qrow’s reaction was more panicked than Clover expected, which was very endearing to the man. Qrow acted tough on the outside, but it warmed Clover’s heart to see Qrow be affected by his charms. While it's not typical for a private investigator to date his partner, Clover can’t imagine not sharing his life with the man he loves.

  
In the background, the phone rings once again. Clover lets out another sigh.

_I guess I need to work instead of daydreaming. We’re getting closer to cracking this case. I need to stay focused if I want to take you down, Raven._


	2. Pursuing Further

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This came out sooner than expected. Also, the title's a pun (:

“Why would you carry around a credit card that’s six months expired?” Yang asked in confusion as the card reader in front of her reads DECLINED. She turns around to face Blake for her opinion.

“I don’t know.” Blake sighed while pinching her nose. “We don’t have anything else on us. I spent the last of the cash on breakfast this morning. All of a sudden that pancake house seems like a really bad decision. We’re going to need to go back out if we want to eat tonight.” 

“Ugh! I hate that guy even more than I did in the first place!” Yang complained as they left the self checkout area of the grocery store. 

Stepping outside, the sky splashes the girls in soft oranges and pinks. The pair are distinctly opposite. Glowing yellow and brilliant violet. Stark black locks and golden curls. A faunus. A human. Bystanders often pass them and think the two look like such a strange pairing. 

“Oh,” Blake starts, “Is that so, _sweetheart?_ That guy wasn’t so bad whenever he told me that I would get you, a nice human girl, into trouble?” Blake jokes and mocks the man from before. 

Yang rolls her eyes and pushes Blake gently. “Shut up. He was already the worst. Now he’s responsible for our hunger. He’s practically an enemy of the state at this point.” 

Blake laughs and shakes her head. She hated it, but they were going to have to go back to the mall and find another jerk to pickpocket. Both girls spent the last of their money earlier in the morning, and they did not have anything left for food or a night at the hotel they spent most of their nights at. They needed to get going before Vale’s businesses began to close. 

“Okay, same mall as earlier or the one on the other side of town?” Yang asked.

Blake thinks for a minute before she answers, “We have to go back to the one earlier.” 

“You think so? That sounds pretty risky to me.” Yang responds. The possibility of being caught makes Yang very nervous. 

The other girl hums at her friend but then ultimately says, “it’s almost dark. By the time we reach the other side of town, the mall will be closing.” 

“I guess, but we have to change it up this time. We take the downstairs part now, and you’ll be the lookout this time. That guy nearly caught you earlier, and I don’t want anymore close calls. Besides, I can use the ‘ol razzle dazzle this time.” 

“There is no _razzle dazzle,_ Yang.”

“Not with that attitude.”

\----

Qrow groans whenever he sees his beloved boyfriend come out from the changing room with another outfit on. This time, Clover’s suit is dark blue and has pin-stripes. What a surprise. Qrow swears Clover’s has come out of the room with that exact suit at least four times. 

“No offense Clover, but when you said we should leave work early, I imagined something other than critiquing the same three suits,” Qrow remarks in a joking manner with his chin rested on his hand. 

“Qrowww. I need the perfect suit for next week. If I’m going to make a speech in the middle of Town Hall, I want to make sure I don’t get crucified on the internet,” Clover responds absentmindedly. He was nervous about next week. Vale Police Department promised the press to comment on the issues regarding the Branwen Gang. He had to have confidence for the crowd. The citizens of Remnant are waiting for Clover to capture Raven Branwen once and for all. 

Qrow places his hand on Clovers arm and says much softer, “I know you’re nervous. But your speech will be great, and you’ll look perfect. Trust me.” 

Clover huffs then says, “That’s unfair. You know I trust you more than anyone.”

“Sorry, I just know you and you never disappoint,” Qrow says. 

“Ha. What a charmer.” Clover grabs a hanger with a suit he had tried on earlier. “How about you put this up for me, then we can leave. We’ll get some take out for tonight.” 

“Alright, I guess,” Qrow drawls out similar to an obnoxious child. “I get to pick what we eat though.” 

“Of course. Who else would I let dictate my food choices?” 

“Brat” 

\--- 

Blake scans the crowd once more before making her decision. 

“Her. That woman over there. She’s going to be an easy one,” Blake states without leaving her eyes from the prissy-looking lady. 

“Her?” Yang squints her eyes trying to make out the faraway figure. “But she’s wearing a dress? Pants are easier to steal from than dresses.” 

“True, but I saw her stick a wad of bills into her purse’s outer pocket. It should be a clean steal,” Blake explains. 

“So, what should I do? Clumsy girl who runs into her by accident, or talkative stranger who doesn’t believe in personal space?” She asks excitedly. 

Blake grins at Yang’s antics. “Hmm. I rather like the clumsy girl act. It is always amusing watching you throw yourself onto the ground. Not to mention, that woman is married to one of Jacques Schnee’s advisor’s. I say she’s got some karma coming her way.” 

“Yes! I’m going to bring her _so_ much karma,” the blonde exclaims.

“That’s not how that works but at least you’re excited, I suppose.” Yang stands up from the bench, but Blake grabs her arm and speaks in a softer tone. “If she figures out, run out the back exit as fast as you can. I’ll be right behind you, and we’ll run to the docks and hide-” 

“Hey-“ Yang stops her and smiles gently- “you don’t have to worry so much about me every time it’s my turn ya know.” 

Blake laughs sadly and responds, “you act the same way whenever it’s my turn. And… I can’t just _not_ worry. I always worry about what could go wrong. If the police ever found out you’re the daughter of her then…” She doesn’t continue her sentence past that. If Yang’s brought into Vale’s Police department, Clover Ebi and his team will never let her go. It’s bad enough that Yang’s resemblance to her mother, apart from hair and eye color, is uncanny. One wrong move and Yang could face a life behind bars. 

“Yeah. I know. We’re always going to worry some aren’t we?” 

She grips Blake’s hand that was placed atop of her shoulder. “But, tonight we can go to the hotel, get some food, and sleep for as long as we want," she whispers with bright eyes, "I think that sounds pretty good to me.” 

Blake nods and squeezes Yang’s hand before letting go. The woman entered an expensive clothing store with her purse lazily held in her hand. Yang sets off casually toward the intended target. Blake follows behind; blending into the crowd of shoppers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the most riveting chapter, but it sets up the plot a little more. Next chapter should be more action packed.


	3. Spotted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the plot thickens. This one has a lot more substance involving the plot and the developing relationship between Blake and Yang. Thanks for reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> updates are coming faster than I thought, but I may not always be this fast (:

Qrow walked around the men’s department of the store as he attempted to return Clover’s suit. To him, they all look nearly identical. Ten minutes pass and he decides that he’s wasting his time trying to locate its intended location. Qrow looked around quickly, before hanging the navy suit with a group of black suits.

_Clover would definitely kill me if he saw that._

Malls weren’t Qrow’s strong suit by any means. For the majority of his life, buying items for pleasure never happened. Living on the streets as a child left Qrow unable to see the appeal of these types of places, but he has learned to understand that some people do get pleasure in shopping for clothing and other materialistic items. 

“Well, look in the back then!”

Qrow turns his head toward the voice. The woman who spoke stands in front of a young employee and taps her foot impatiently. 

“Of course ma’am. I’ll be back in one moment.” 

The woman responds, “I don’t have all night,” her eyes glare up at the employee’s rabbit ears. “So do not keep me waiting.” 

_What a bitch._

Qrow rolled his eyes and stepped back to allow the rabbit faunas rush past him. He looks at the stuck-up woman who continued to tap her foot with her arms crossed across her chest. Even though it’s most likely a bad decision, Qrow can’t help himself as he began to make his way toward her. 

_I shouldn’t waste my breath on someone like this. Oh well. Clover’s still probably trying on the same suit for the tenth time._

“Hey. Lady. You ever heard of manners or do they not--” 

Qrow’s insults are cut off by a blonde woman colliding into the lady. Both women tumble to the ground. The woman’s purse and belongings fly onto the ground. The entire store pauses momentarily but looked away when the woman screeched out loud. 

“Woah! Ugh. Oh my God I’m so sorry Ms!” The younger woman exclaims and scrambles to her feet clumsily. She puts on a goofy grin, and quickly gathers up the items from the floor. The blonde girl holds them out in her arms. 

“Here ya go. Don’t worry about your stuff ma’am. A little dirt never hurt anyone.” The blonde laughs and then shoves all the items forward. 

“ _Dirt?!_ Listen here, you idiot, this purse that you just flung onto the ground is worth more than your _entire_ life. I’ll have you know my husband is one of Remnant’s richest men. He can make sure-” 

Qrow cringes and feels his anger grow even more as the woman continued. Now he really had to give this lady a piece of his mind. Sure, the blonde took her down like a goddamn hockey player, but she had no right to talk to anyone like that. Again, Qrow prepped himself to speak but this time stops when he sees the young woman’s hand movements. It was fast. Impressively fast. However, after years of living in the streets of Vale, Qrow knew what a pickpocketer looked like. Afterall, he could at one time empty someone’s pocket in a blink of an eye. 

_Now, this is a hard decision._ _This girl’s got some skill. Hell, I nearly missed it myself. I don't really want to get the kid in trouble. I don’t even know where to start with this---_ **_wait_ ** _._

The blonde’s eyes lock with Qrow’s momentarily. His breath hitches when he sees the young woman’s face. 

He’s seen that face. He grew up with that face. The face of his sister. The one who left him to fend for himself nearly twenty years ago. Now all these years later, black feather-like hair is gone and there is shining gold instead. Crimson eyes are no longer, because they have turned into a rich purple. The scars that once were scattered across her face are replaced by light freckles. The differences are infinite but obsolete all at once. 

Qrow knows the face of his twin sister. Now, it’s on another girl. There’s no coincidence for the acute resemblance. Raven must have a daughter. Qrow must have a niece. 

However, he wastes too much time remembering the past because the girl approaches the exit of the store. He snaps out of his daze and curses to himself. _Shit. Holly shit._

“HEY.” he yells running past the aisles of clothing. “Someone stop her!”

The girl snaps her head back for a split second, before sprinting out into the main part of the mall. 

\----

Yang bolted out into the mall as she hearEd the man continue to scream. Looking over her shoulder, she sees he’s sprinting after her. A white uniform catches her eye, and she yells out toward a mall officer. 

She doesn’t stop sprinting but exclaimes, “help! He won’t leave me alone!” 

The cop looks back at the approaching man and blocks him with his body. He picks up the unruly man and holds him close against his sturdy form; effectively stopping Qrow in his tracks.

“Get off of me! Hey bozo, I said knock it off! I’m part of Vale’s police department!” Qrow screams while he thrashes in the officer’s grip. 

“Ahh! Stop it!” the officer grunts when Qrow elbows him in the stomach. 

Qrow sees a familiar figure rushing over to help. Clover, out of breath, approaches and exclaimes, “what the hell are you doing? Let him go!” 

“Look buddy, this guy was chasing some girl around and---” 

Qrow growls and screams, “that girl was Raven Branwen’s daughter, and you just let her get away!” 

The vice grip trapping Qrow loosens immediately. 

\------- 

Yang doesn't stop running whenever the officer stopped the guy chasing after her. She threw open the door of the back exit and looked around the mostly empty parking lot. Her breathing was frantic, and Yang struggled to calm her heartbeat. Her hands rest on her knees, and eyes lock onto the concrete pavement, trying to focus on something. The spring air creates a strange sensation on her burning skin. 

_That's never happened before. It’s never been that close. What did he say? He’s a part of what?_

Fast footsteps hit the pavement, and an unknown force crashes into her side. The initial terror dissipates whenever she feels herself being brought into a desperate hug. 

“B-Blake? What-” Yang weases but doesn’t finish and instead leans against her friend’s form for support. 

Blake holds onto Yang and squeezes her tightly and whispers, “I thought they got you. I thought- oh God Yang. That guy’s a cop, Yang. And I saw _him._ ” 

Yang turns her head and looks into Blake’s glossy eyes, “who did you see?” 

“Clover Ebi,” she says in a thick voice. 

The blonde stiffens and doesn’t respond to that name. The severity of the situation left her too stunned to react. 

“Let’s get out of here and head to the hotel,” She eventually said. They began to walk out of the parking lot and onto the sidewalk along the street. Blake doesn’t let go of Yang as they walk toward their hotel room. 

Yang tried to comfort her, “I got $300 from her purse. We’ll be set for a little bit, at least for a few more nights. We can watch some TV and order takeout from somewhere. Anything you want.” 

“I don’t care about food!” Blake snaps harshly. “Did you not hear me? Clover Ebi, Yang!” She stops and separates from the blonde. 

“Everyday, he gets closer and closer to throwing your mom in prison. This whole time he’s been looking for her, he didn’t know you existed! But now… now he’s seen you. And his partner saw you too and he knows you stole from that woman in the mall. He probably thinks you’re working for Raven’s gang and could lead him to her right now,” her voice cracks at the end and she looks on the verge of tears. 

Yang closes the gap between them and raised her hand to the other girl’s cheek. Blake leans into the touch and screws her eyes shut. 

“It’s going to be okay. I promise. I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. You said it yourself, remember? No more running.” 

Blake releases a breath and asks, “you still remember that?” _Of course she does._

“Of course I do. I can’t and won’t ever forget.” 

Neither could ever forget that horrid night when the girls were eighteen, watching a poorly written horror movie together in a motel. It was a calm night that had been enjoyable, before Blake’s ex-boyfriend broke through the door and charged at Blake with a knife in hand. The blade split open her side, but no further strikes hit after the initial attack. Instead, the bull faunus’s knife lodged deep into Yang’s arm while she tackled him to the ground. Blake can still imagine Adam looming over a bloodied Yang, knife raised above his head, intending to destroy the only thing Blake loved in this world. 

_“YANG!”_

She didn’t remember herself hitting Adam in the head with the solid glass vase that sat on the motel's coffee table. She also didn’t remember if he died instantly when he fell next to her feet, or if it was slow and drawn out. She only remembers her and Yang clinging to each other as they stumbled out the door and into the darkness. 

Legs got tangled in the brush. Dew drops soaked their pant legs, and their blood had stained their shirts red. _  
_

_We can’t be out in the open._

They fall to the ground in the middle of the Vale's forest. Red and blue police lights aren’t blinding like they were earlier in the night. 

_On the ground, Blake grabs Yang’s unharmed hand and speaks in desperation, “I’m done running from him. I-I’m not going to ever abandon you. I swear.”_

_“I know you won’t.”_

Blake shudders from the past memories and stares at Yang in front of her. “I’m so tired of this, Yang. _All_ of it.” 

“Well… We can try Vacuao again. Maybe going somewhere different might make us feel better.” 

Blake stares at the cracks in the sidewalk trying to stop all the past images flashing in her mind. Bloody Yang grasping her arm, exhausted Yang sleeping next to her on the sidewalk, smiling Yang showing Blake love she has never deserved. 

Blake shakes her head and whispers, “it’s never going to change for us, Yang.”

\------

The atmosphere within their hotel room was not what it usually was that night. Blake’s legs are up against her chest, her body facing away from the human. Yang’s too exhausted to try and make the mood lighter. She understands Blake’s frustration but is unable to figure out what to tell her. Their lives were difficult and tiresome, but Blake’s words from earlier worries Yang. 

_It’s never going to change for us, Yang._

They planned that once they saved up enough money, the girls would see if Junior could help them out. The club owner specialized in all things illegal. From exotic animals, to illegal fireworks, Junior sells anything you can think of. The goal was to save up enough money for fake high school transcripts and a diploma. Yang smiles and remembers Blake talking passionately to her about college life and the libraries available there. 

_“What are you looking at?”_

_“Nothing. You’re just cute when you’re excited.”_

Since then, Yang dreamt that Blake would go to college while she worked someplace she could use her hands. They would have a place together. Some days of the week Blake wouldn’t get home until late because of class, but Yang would wait and the two would talk into the night about their days. Blake’s bag would be full of the library’s novels and Yang’s body would be tired from a day of work. The two would have a normal everyday life together, which appealed to Yang more than she could describe. However, if they wanted to get there, they needed to keep their heads up. 

“Okay, I was thinking we should definitely switch locations tomorrow. We can stay at the hotel on the east-side and hit up those outdoor markets. There’s always a lot of people who are too busy to notice anything going on.” Yang says laying on her back and looking across the room. 

Blake mutters without looking up, “like the east-side’s any better than where we are now. It’s just going to be more jerks and more crappy hotel rooms.” 

“You liked where we stayed last time. It had that big fountain where we threw in coins,” Yang responds. 

“Yeah, well throwing away money doesn’t sound like such a good idea anymore. I don’t care where we stay,” she replied. Her body rolls to the side so that she’s completely facing the wall. 

“Obviously you do care,” Yang says slightly annoyed. 

“I really don’t, Yang. I stand by what I said earlier. Our lives will never change. We’ll just be stuck living like this for the rest of our lives,” she finishes darkly. 

Yang feels her temper rising. She doesn’t want to argue with Blake. Especially not right now. Trying to prevent any further hostility, Yang calms down and says, “our lives will change. If we save some of this money, we’re only a couple of hundred dollars away from buying the transcripts from Junior. Then you can---” 

“What? Go to college and pretend like I haven’t been a criminal my _entire_ life? How would I even fit in anywhere at this point?!” 

“Why are you acting like this? Don’t you want to be happy?” Yang yells; finally angry at her friend’s resistance. 

“No, Yang, I want to be miserable forever! Of course I want to be happy. I want all the same things you want. I want to go to school and do things other than steal from people.”

_I want to spend my life with you, and I don’t want to worry about someone taking you away from me._

Blake continues after a moment, “I want that too, but it’s not realistic,” she says in a low voice. “This isn’t some fairytale where the characters get what they've always wanted at the end of the story. There are no happily ever afters in the real world.” 

The room goes silent for a long stretch of time. A clock on the wall provides the only noise. Although they aren’t looking at one another anymore, both have tears threatening to spill out from their eyes.

Yang grabs her scroll and mumbles “I’m going to get some fresh air, or something.” 

Blake's tears finally fall after the hotel room's door slams shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I always like to read comments and receive feedback!


	4. Divided and Seperated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New chapter woohoo. The "eventful night" is here that changes everything. Thanks for clicking

**9:06 PM [Blake]**

Laying on her back in the hotel room, Blake thinks about how much she regrets her and Yang’s conversation they had about thirty minutes ago. She shouldn’t have snapped like she did. It had been a difficult day; between Blake getting yelled at by a human and Yang nearly getting arrested, she struggled to control her emotions earlier. She hated thinking that her words made Yang believe she didn’t care about their lives. She does. More than anything. However, Yang doesn’t know that right now. 

_Come on, Yang. Hurry up. I swear, I can’t stay mad at her for even an hour. Talk about being whipped… God we’re not even dating, and I keep thinking things like that._

This specific thought made Blake pause for a moment. 

_Why haven’t I told her how I feel? It’s been two years since we met. God knows I’d do anything to spend the rest of my life with her. And I know Yang feels a **similar** way, I think. Maybe I can bring it up sometime soon to her._

Blake gets distracted from her wishful thinking by the ruckus emitting underneath her and Yang’s room. Muffled voices yell and rapid footsteps echo throughout the building. Also, blue and red lights try to seep through the closed blinds covering the windows. Ripping them open, Blake’s heartbeat speeds up. Fear consumes the faunus when she realizes three of Vale’s police cars are crowded inside the parking lot below. 

_No no no no_

Blake scrambles to gather her few belongings in a bag and turns on her scroll to message Yang to hide. She doesn’t have the chance to type out a message because a long paragraph appears, and it covers the entire screen. Blake stays glued to her spot, shaking, as she reads the words typed before her. Tears well up once again, and Blake’s brain stops working whenever her eyes run out of words to read. She slightly registers a knock at the door, but Blake is too awestruck from the message to react to anything else. 

In desperation, she runs back to the window and looks closely. Outside, Vale’s police members walk out of the hotel talking to one another. A short woman with dark skin walks out holding together someone’s handcuffed arms. The officer is much shorter than her prisoner looks but makes up for it by looking fiercely determined. The other girl’s wrists are bound together, and her head is facing the ground. Even from the fifth story, the bright blonde hair that Blake loves so much shines against the night sky. Blake turns around and sprints out the room, but a man stops her as soon as she exits the doorway. Both of them groan out loud as they collide together. Blake tries to move, but the stranger's grip traps her firmly against his side. She thrashes violently, attempting to free herself, but whoever is gripping her is determined to not let her go.

In the midst of the man's and Blake's tussle, Blake’s scroll flies onto the carpeted floor with the name above the message reading---

From: Yang 

\----

**8:46 PM. Twenty Minutes Before Yang’s Message [Qrow]**

Clover and Qrow pull up in front of the tall hotel building after an hour of searching for Raven's daughter. Clover breaths in, and he lets a long breath out; mentally preparing himself for what they were about to do. 

“I can’t believe we’re about to get Raven’s daughter... it's been so long since we've found anything helpful in tracking my sister down,” he says in a far-away voice. The case he had devoted so much so much of his life on was coming to an end. It felt strange in a way that he could actually see a light at the end of this seemingly never-ending tunnel. 

Qrow stays silent during this, causing Clover to ask, “what’s wrong?” 

“...That’s my niece in there, Clover... I bet she’s not even in her twenties yet, and we're going to show up at her hotel room door with Vale's most elite police officers. She’s just so young,” he finishes sadly. 

Clover grabs his hand and reassures him, “we aren’t going to hurt her. We’re not even armed, remember?” 

Qrow cracks a small smile, “not even Elm? You sure she doesn’t have a bazooka in the back of her and Vine’s car?” 

“Ha. No. Not this time at least,” Clover smiles softly, “do you want to be the one to go up to her room? Maybe you could convince her to come down to the station with us?” 

Qrow’s face darkened, “do I have to arrest her?” 

“Qrow… you saw her steal just earlier today in the mall, and we have a good amount of evidence that she has or is still working for your sister's gang. She's not innocent,” Clover responded, never breaking eye contact with his partner. 

Qrow feels slightly agitated at this and questions, “why do I get a pass on everything I did when I was younger? Because they could never prove it? So what if she isn't innocent? She’s probably doing the same thing I had to do as a kid. _Surviving_ in this awful world. I wasn’t a good kid either, Clover. You can’t forget that part.” 

Clover hums then responds, “you might have done bad things too, Qrow. But, by the time I met you, you had changed for the better. And I guess you’re right. There’s no evidence anymore of what you did, so _you_ don’t have to worry about the consequences of your actions like she does,” Clover says sadly. “But, this girl, she hasn’t changed yet, and there’s no telling if she ever will. We can’t tell if she’ll be like you and devote her life to helping people. That she'll become an amazing person like you ended up being. For all we know, she could just follow in her mother’s footsteps and hurt everyone in her path along the way.”

Qrow nods his head in silence and closes his eyes. With one final squeeze from his boyfriend’s hand, Qrow snaps off his seat belt. It was time to visit his niece. 

\------

**8:46 PM. Twenty Minutes Before Yang’s Message. [YANG]**

“Ugh! Why can’t my fucking eyes stop doing this,” Yang complains to herself while wiping angrily at her face. 

The conversation went horribly wrong earlier. Yang thinks, and realizes that that was probably not the best time to ask Blake those particular questions. Hounding Blake about their future together today was not a smart move. 

_Well I shouldn't say future together. That makes it sound like I tried to ask her out. God knows how horrible I am at starting that conversation._

Their day had sucked pretty bad, and there was bound to be some tension between the two. Blake was scared of what almost happened to Yang, and Yang was scared of Blake losing hope. 

_I’ll go back to the room and tell Blake I’m sorry for snapping at her. If she doesn’t forgive me, we’ll sleep it off. We never stay mad at each other._

Yang hoped Blake would change her mind about what they’re doing. If they just wait a little longer… But how long has Yang said that to herself?

_Just wait a little longer..._

Just wait a little longer, and Raven would let her into her work office that Yang was never allowed to enter as a small child. Just a little longer, and Junior would give Yang a fake ID to get into his club, and she would work as one of his dancers when she turned sixteen. Well, Yang never got that ID from Junior (probably for the best), but she did get a chance to see Raven’s office years before she had even met Junior or Blake. It was definitely not worth the wait, she realized. Instead of finding out cool facts about her mom's mysterious job, Yang found out why everyone was always terrified of her mother, then gained the serious responsibilities that Branwen were forced to live with. It took years to escape her mom's gang, and Yang didn't regret leaving her former life at all. That was never her true family, and they never will be to Yang.

 _Nothing ever turns out the way we want it to, I guess… No. I’m not thinking like that. Blake and I can’t both be this negative or we’ll never get anywhere._ _Just keep moving forward. That’s what we have to keep doing. Even if it hurts, you just got to grin and move along with your life._

Blake would come around, she knew it. She new the dark haired girl had a special spot in her heart for Yang. Hell, Blake was the only person Yang could think of that Blake had ever truly opened up to.

A man’s voice breaks her train of thought. It was spoken in another room; too far away for Yang to make out the specific words. The conversation seemed urgent and there were several people with the man. The voice, Yang thinks, sounds like one she’s heard from TV or the radio.

_What did he just say?_

“What?” Yang asks out loud to herself. She’s sitting in a booth inside the breakfast area of the hotel and peaks her head around the seat, but instantly feels her stomach drop. The hardships of this day are clearly not over as she realizes what kind of danger she is currently in. Yang’s hand starts to shake, a nervous tick she has acquired, and tries to keep her breathing even. There’s not enough time for a plan, but there’s not any place she can escape without being caught. 

The subject to her torment asks the man at the front desk another question. Only meters away from Yang’s booth, Clover Ebi stands on the other side of the room. However, he has back up this time around. Four police officers accompany him, and the man who had originally chased Yang in the store must not be too far from the group as well. 

Searching for clues of Yang’s whereabouts, Clover turns his head and spots the stunned woman sitting in the breakfast area. His eyes widen, and he points his finger at Yang, drawing everyone’s attention onto her. Within that split second of Clover locking eyes with her, Yang can’t help but see the events of her life flash before her eyes. Even though the blonde is not necessarily about to die, she can’t stop herself from thinking that her life will mostly likely come to an end by the end of the night.

“THERE! She’s right there!” he exclaims. The group of cops pivot, and their eyes locate the target. 

For the second time this day, Yang’s adrenaline spikes, and she jumps off the booth to sprint as fast as she can in the opposite direction. Their footsteps pound behind her, causing Yang to look frantically for a place to escape. There are other rooms where guests are currently staying, but she would not be able to enter them without a key card. There was the old worn-down gym she had frequented many nights prior to this one, but the door was made of glass that was entirely breakable. Rounding the corner of the hotel’s hallway, she finds a door that leads to the indoor pool. Desperately, she flings it open and slams her body against the thick metal. She feels a harsh force impact the solid barrier, and Yang assumes it was Clover because it is his voice that echoes on the other side. 

“Open up!” 

Yang cringes and looks around the pool area for something useful. She saw the physiques of the other police officers. There is no way she would be able to keep the door shut with her strength alone. 

Next to her left foot, the pole from a pool skimmer lays abandoned. Seeing as there is nothing else available, Yang concludes this will have to suffice for the task at hand. Before the others can join Clover in forcing the door open, Yang acts quickly. She stretches out her foot and slides the pole across the ground. Whenever it's in grabbing distance, she surges her arm downward and grabs it; all while her back is still against the door. Yang jams the pool skimmer pole above the door’s handle, which makes it impossible for the others to enter. They slam into the hard surface once again, and she can make out a frustrated chorus of officers trying to find a way to break into the room now that the door is jammed shut. 

Yang runs a hand through her thick hair and tries to think of what to do next. There isn’t an exit in this part of the building, and the door will not withstand the amount of abuse it’s currently receiving. Whatever she has to do, she needs to think of it **right now**. 

A loud, deep, woman’s voice reverberates through the room. The sheer loudness startles Yang.

“OPEN UP OR I’LL TEAR DOWN THIS DOOR MYSELF!” 

“Elm! Stop yelling and actually do something!” Another woman responds on the other side in annoyance. While her voice is much higher than the other woman’s, it still holds a high level of authority that is coated in ferocity. 

The blonde jumps back from the terrifying voices sounding from the opposite end of the temporary barrier. Harsh slams that threaten to snap the skimmer pole grow more insistent and systematic. The group has decided to collectively attack the door as one unit. With this new strategy, the door does not have any chance of surviving for much longer. Yang grabs her scroll and clicks on the messaging icon. Blake’s name pops up on the screen, and Yang stops herself from typing out a message asking for backup. There’s no way she can get out of this one, they have her completely trapped. No windows. No doors. Just a caged bird waiting to get snagged. A sense of sadness fills Yang with this revelation. 

_If they bring me in, I don’t think I could ever get out. I lived with Raven the majority of my life. I know the things she did. Hell, I helped out sometimes... I’m not going to be able to see Blake ever again._

She contemplates her limited options and decides to send Blake one final message with shaky fingers. It won’t ask for her friend’s help. It’s too late for that, and Yang knows there’s no way for Blake not to get into trouble by assisting her. Afterall, Blake’s track record is probably longer than Yang’s own. Her fingers fly over the keyboard, trying to translate her rapid thoughts into a single text message. Blake deserved to know how she feels, even if she will never get to hear Yang say it out loud. 

The blonde hits send, just as the door finally bursts open. Before Yang can even understand what’s happening, a large woman with dark skin slams her onto the ground and knocks the breath out of her body. A different woman grabs her wrists and quickly snaps the handcuffs. Brown dress shoes walk toward her face that's still being pressed against the floor by the strong officer. Yang straines her neck to meet Clover’s intense gaze. 

“Good work, Elm. You too, Harriet. I hope you’re ready to talk, Branwen. We have a lot of questions for you, and we expect a lot of answers in return.” 

They yank her off the ground and keep Yang’s hands pressed together. The police officer named Harriet begins to walk Yang out of the building, while reading her rights to her. A dog faunus follows alongside the pair as the rest of the group stays a few steps back, talking about something regarding the questions they plan on asking when they arrive back at the station. She hears something about the after party tonight for all the officers, which makes her blood start to boil. While Yang’s interrogated and ultimately thrown behind bars, these officers will be celebrating like it’s somebody’s birthday. Yang keeps her head down and tries to think about absolutely nothing when they exit the front doors and make their way into the parking lot. 

\-----

**9:08 PM. Current time**. 

“Agh! Hold still! I just want to talk--- OW DAMNIT,” Qrow screams as Blake elbows him in a not-so pleasant area. The man had taken three hits below the belt and was not sure how many more he could take. He’s going to be feeling this tomorrow. Or forever. 

“S-STOP,” he wheezes in a pained voice, “W-we just want to talk to you and y-your friend. I promise, just stop hitting me!” 

The two thrash on the ground; Qrow trying to hold down Blake, and Blake trying to breakaway in order to save Yang outside. 

“Let me go!” she yells out and lashes out at the man repeatedly. In one attack, her knuckles slam into Qrows throat, causing him to make a harsh choking noise. His grip relents, and the faunus shoves him aside. She stands up and starts to run, but Qrow stops her when he grabs her calf. His nails dig into her skin in order to keep a hold of his grip as she violently kicks her leg. 

After failing to rid of the man’s hand on her calf, Blake stretches away trying tp escape the grip trapping her, and then sees something stationed on the side of the wall. Leaning as far as she can, Blake grabs a hold of the handle to a fire alarm and pulls. Lights instantly begin to flash, an ear-piercing alarm blairs, and the sprinklers turn on. 

She regrets her decision within the first few seconds whenever she hears the alarm sound. The added ears atop her head make the sensation nearly unbearable for the faunus. However, just as the man moves to grab her, a stampede of residents knock Qrow and Blake to the ground. Qrow scrambles to his feet and tries to find Blake in the midst of the chaos. The water doesn’t help and it successfully obscures his vision. He’s lost sight of his niece's friend, but Qrow is determined to not let her get away. He pushes through the crowd of people, then starts to run down the stairs. Somehow, the girl has managed to disappear completely among the crowd.

\------

Harriet looks back when she hears the fire alarm blaire from inside the building. She makes eye contact with one of her fellow officers, Vine, and looks at him questioningly. The man decides to find out what the issue is, and he heads back inside. Right behind Harriet, Clover and Elm pause and turn the other way. They murmur to themselves and try to see if there is any smoke arising from the building. 

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Harriet continues toward the police car, "come on keep it moving, blondie." 

She grips Yang’s wrists unnecessarily hard and shoves her forward. _Your lucky I don’t have my hands you tiny, snot-nosed, OW!_ Yang audibly groans whenever the woman harshly squeezes her wrists again. It’s almost as though she could hear the blonde’s insults firing away in her head. 

As Clover stands still, he hears a mass of footsteps and wanders aloud, “What the hell---”

He’s cut off by a swarm of people running frantically out of the building. They rush out without noticing any of the bystanders. Some yell about a fire breaking out while others seem to only be moving to not get trampled. Clover gets taken down to the ground, while Elm struggles to stay on her feet with all of the scared guests running outside. 

Ahead, Harriet’s eyes widen as she sees the swarm heading straight toward her and Yang. The crowd shoves the small woman around, and she fights to keep a hold onto her prisoner. Her petite stature does not help the onset of shoves and strong pushes. 

From behind, Clover shouts, “Harriet! Keep a grip on her!” 

However, just as Clover yells that, a particularly hard push nearly takes Harriet down. Yang decides to take advantage of this opportunity and begins trying to thrash out of the officer’s grip. Harriet frantically tries to stop the much stronger woman, but she struggles with the continuous stream of people running into them. 

Harriet looks to her side where her co-worker is and cries out, “Marrow, help me!” 

The dog faunus stands still off to the side with his hands clutching his head. He may not have animal ears as his faunus trait like Blake, but Marrow’s hearing is still insanely more advanced than an average human. Also, his hearing allows him to detect pitches that only some animals, such as dogs, can hear. The fire alarm is basically acting as an extremely loud dog whistle. 

Utilizing the craziness, Yang uses all of her strength to rip her arms out of Harriet’s grip and then body slams her onto the ground. Driven by fear, the girl is unable to think of a plan other than runaway as far as she possibly can. Yang's feet shoot off toward the seclusive woods behind the building. 

Clover and Elm push against the crowd and approach Harriet who shakily rises from the concrete floor. The guests have stopped moving as frantically, but all stand gathered around the front of the building, attempting to figure out what had just occurred. 

“WHERE IS SHE?!” Elm bellows at the shorter woman and dog faunus. Harriet shakes her head in defeat; she has no idea where the blonde girl had escapes to. 

“Marrow! Did you see where she went?” Clover asks desperately. His hope diminishes whenever he sees the dog faunas still cringing in pain from the sound. 

“Jesus christ, I thought this was supposed to be the best police team in all of Remnant? Does anyone know where that damn girl went?!” Clover screams in frustration. 

“The woods,” Vine states calmly as he approaches the group, “I saw her go into the woods.”

Clover looks at the dark woods behind the building, then decides what his next plan is. 

“She’s still handcuffed, so she’s not going to get too far. Elm, go back to the station and get the search dogs. Bring backup as well. Marrow, Harriet, and I are going into the woods to see if we can find what direction she went,” he glances down at his phone that displays Qrow’s name, “Vine, figure out what’s taking Qrow so long in there, and then tell him to meet Elm at the station. We’re not letting that girl get away.” 

\-----

Blake escapes out the side exit of the building. However, by the time she arrives outside, Yang had already broken away from Harriet’s grip and ran the opposite direction into the brush. She never saw Yang sprint away into the woods. The last time she saw Yang was when the blonde had been getting pushed forward by the small police officer woman. Hidden in the dark, Blake watches as a police car starts up and drives toward the heart of the city. She looks in dismay as she believes that the now out of sight car holds her best friend inside. Little does she know, the Ace-Ops did not catch Yang. 

Blake’s head is swarming with thoughts, and she can’t move from where she’s standing because of the massive amount of dread coursing through her body. 

_She’s gone. I’ll never see her again. O-Oh God, Yang._ Blake sniffles and puts her face into her hands. 

The text message Yang sent her repeats over and over again in her mind. The only family Blake possesses has been ripped away from her forever. She never even got the chance to tell the blonde that she loved her. 

\----- 

Yang sprints through the thicket as fast as she can. She wonders briefly if she still has her scroll with her, but she remembers dropping it inside the pool room. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be able to tell Blake she’s alright. Her foot hits a tree root, causing the handcuffed girl to fly forward. Since her hands are held against her back, Yang cannot stop herself as she rolls down a steep hill. After a moment, Yang stops rolling and feels a sense of relief that it has ceased. Except, Yang realizes she has just rolled into a cold, dark river. 

Her head dunks underwater, and she chokes when her lungs are flooded with ice cold river water. Her body contorts, desperately trying to find air. Luckily, her legs push into the riverbed, and she rights herself. She stands up so that she can look behind her. The city lights are distant now. Yang tiredly wades through the water away from Vale and tries to figure out what to do now. 

\-----

Qrow stumbles around a corner of the hotel hallway. He’s soaked to the bone, covered in bruises, and his crotch feels like it's on fire. 

_I fucking hate these girls, God damn. I can’t decide which one I want to murder more. My psycho sister, my stupid niece, or my niece’s handsy friend._ He groans and decides it's a toss up between Raven and the other dark-haired girl. 

Vine spots Qrow and walks up to him, “we caught Raven’s daughter, but she escaped into the woods. We would have kept her if the fire alarm hadn't been pulled. Clover, Harriet, and Marrow are tracking in the woods right now,” he looks at Qrow’s disheveled appearance and asks with a raised eyebrow, “what on earth were you doing?” 

“My niece has an accomplice. This accomplice set off the fire alarm and escaped too. She also beat the crap out of me... I don’t want to talk about it.” Qrow says as he walks past Vine. 

\--- 

Inside the room with the indoor pool, Yang’s scroll sits upright displaying the front screen. The device shows Blake’s panic responses to Yang’s text message she had sent moments before getting tackled to the ground by Qrow Branwen. Someone approaches the scroll and reads the last messages that Yang’s scroll had received. 

[BLAKE] 9:06 pm Yang where are you???! 

[BLAKE] 9:06 pm YANG WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?! 

The person laughs quietly and then places their foot over the device. With the heel of their black boot, the mysterious individual crunches the scroll; causing the light to flicker out permanently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yang's message will be revealed soon, and it will be sappy and dramatic because that's what I thrive off of. Also, next chapter will introduce Weiss who I plan to make a giant brat and also another character with loads of sass. Anyways, thank you for reading (:


	5. Insanity is A Possibility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I've gotten a bit behind on this story but due to certain... circumstances, I'll be able to work more on it! This chapter was very fun to write. I attempt at humor and romance, and I believe I only partially succeed in both. Also this chapter features: Morally questionable Blake! (in a hopefully funny way at least) But anyway, I hope you enjoy!

“They aren’t picking up a scent anymore,” Marrow said as he walks with a dog leash in his hand. The police hounds have stopped their barking and look around, unsure of what they are supposed to do now. 

The sun is starting to rise; painting the chill morning in soft oranges and pinks. The Ace-Ops and Qrow have been searching the dense Vale woods for hours now, which has caused tension to rise between the officers. 

“She probably ran back into the city. Her friend could have easily picked her up, and now they could be miles away in another town,” Harriet remarks. 

Clover sighs and responds to the agitated woman, “she didn’t get back into Vale. There’s an officer at every street corner looking for Branwen and her friend. Also,” Clover looks down a steep hill and the water below, “I have a feeling she may have fallen in there. The dogs lose the scent whenever we near the stream. They didn’t track her whenever we searched past the water.” 

Qrow’s heart races for a moment and he nervously responds, “she was handcuffed. If she fell in then-” 

Clover gently interrupts him before he can continue, “I don’t think she could have drowned. If I remember right, that river’s only a foot or two deep for most of the stretch.” 

That calms Qrow down slightly. He knows he shouldn’t care this much for some girl, but this girl is his family. Besides Clover, Qrow seriously lacked in that department. _Hopefully, she doesn’t get too far and we’ll catch her by tonight. She’s going to get hurt if she’s out here for too long._

\-------

Yang’s journey through the woods has not been a pleasant one. Her right shoulder was killing her from getting hit by a rock while rolling down the hill, her clothes are freezing cold and soaked, and she could not think of a way to get the handcuffs trapping her wrists off. 

She stumbles through the woods until she approaches a large rock. She lays out her hands atop the rock and looks around for something to use. Yang picks up a smaller rock and presses it against the chain, hoping that it will break from the pressure. To Yang’s avail, the metal cuffs do not break. She grunts in fury and rapidly slams the rock down onto the chain. She sighs and sinks down to the ground. 

_Why is my life like this? Am I ever allowed to have a normal life, or am I just supposed to suffer all the time? Blake’s not even here with me this time._

Yang has thought about her options. She could return back to Vale, but she knew that it’s probably infested with officers searching for her. Also, Yang being in Vale raises the chance of Blake getting caught. So, Yang has decided her best bet is to wander through the woods, try and get rid of the handcuffs, and attempt to locate a place to stay that’s out of harm's way. This option allows Yang to avoid the police, but she won’t ever see her friend again, which Yang can hardly stomach. However, drastic times call for drastic measures. It's funny in a way Yang thinks to herself. Running away and finding a place to hide seems more like Blake's kinda plan than Yang's. _Well Blake, it looks like I'm going to be taking a page or two from your book._

Yang looks at her hands and tries to remember the time her and Blake got arrested whenever they first turned eighteen. 

“Well this is a thing,” Yang said as they sat in the back of a patrol car over a year ago. 

“We just got arrested and that’s what you have to say?” Blake asked incredulously. She had obviously been stressed, and Yang realizes that trying to use humor then had been a poor decision. 

Yang gave a tired chuckle, but then shoved her face into her hands and responded, “I don’t know what else to say right now, I guess. I’m…” she swallows and continues faster than before, “I’m kinda freaking out.” 

“Yang-” 

“We’re in a police car right now, and we’re handcuffed! We can’t get out of this one! They’re going to take us in, and they’re going to figure out who I am, that you’re an ex-member of the White Fang, and that we have been stealing from people for over a year,” she looked at Blake with glossy eyes and murmured softly, “I don’t want to lose you.” 

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Yang gave her a doubtful look and she held up her hands in defense, “don’t look at me like that. I think… I think I can get us out of here.” She finishes with a determined look in her eye. 

Yang learned that day that her friend is a master lock picker, apparently. They managed to get a hairpin out of Yang’s unruly hair, and Blake somehow freed them from their constraints. Her friend tried to act like it was no big deal, but Yang noticed the proud look she held in her eyes. She knew then that she liked it when Blake looked like that. She loved it when Blake seemed confident in her actions. _Whether that was a good thing or not._ Yang thinks currently, remembering instances when Blake’s confidence seemed awfully close to flirtations, and Yang would struggle to keep her composure. 

Looking at the handcuffs, Yang tries to remember the way Blake finessed her way out of the handcuffs. She felt around her jacket for an extra hairpin. Her wild hair made it so she had to have an emergency supply of hair care products; even if that meant a few extra hairpins stuffed away in her brown bomber jacket. It took about an hour, but finally the metal bracelets snapped open; freeing the blonde’s hands. Yang falls back onto the ground and laughs loudly in victory. Her head involuntarily rolls to the side, and her laughter stops when she realizes she’s alone. The yellow eyes she expects to be looking back at her are no longer. Yang’s smile falters, and she sits upright. Suddenly, Yang is aware that her clothes are, in fact, still drenched, and she is lacking money as well as a scroll. Letting out a huff, the tall girl rises from the ground and looks forward. _Let’s see what’s on the other side of these woods, I guess._

\-------

Blake wakes up way later than normal because of the exhaustion she experienced last night. Her head lifts from the hard surface of a park bench, and she grunts at her aching body. Golden eyes reluctantly flutter open, but Blake doesn’t want to get up. Not after last night. Part of her mind was still trying to convince herself that the events that occured yesterday were merely a figment of her imagination. However, Blake knows that that’s not true. She grabs her scroll from her small drawstring bag that she managed to escape with from the hotel room. On the screen of her scroll, Yang’s message reflects against her eyes. 

Yang: blake you need to get out of the hotel right now! Vale's police department’s here and they are about to catch me any second. I need you to get out and run. Please blake, you're everything to me. I wish i could say these things to your face but there isn’t any time left. I love you more than anything on remnant, blake. I’m sorry I never got a chance to tell you that but I just can’t. We’re out of time. Stay safe blake. I love you. 

Her lip trembles slightly as she reads the message. She’s angry at both Yang and herself for the outcome of their relationship. Mostly at herself for never admitting her feelings. She had always assumed that Yang would be the first one to act when it came to furthering their relationship. Headstrong, confident Yang would be the one to make a move if she felt the same way as Blake. Unfortunately, Yang must not have been as confident in that regard as Blake had hoped for. _It’s selfish that I'm acting like it’s her fault for not confessing first. There wasn’t anything stopping me, and all I did was pine away like a lovesick highschooler... I guess that is kinda what I was._ How long have they been at that strange stage where they were not quite dating, but their relationship definitely surpassed friendship? Too long in Blake’s opinion. **Way** too long. 

Yang’s words repeat in her mind over and over again. She desperately tries to imagine Yang’s voice speaking those words to her, telling Blake that she loves her more than anything. To have the woman that she finds so beautiful look into her eyes and openly admit her feelings towards Blake would be a dream come true. Years of oppression and struggle wouldn’t matter anymore if she knew that every morning she would wake up to pretty lilac eyes and soft declarations of love. Tears have formed once again in Blake’s eyes, and all she wants to do is curl up somewhere and try and forget about everything. What was she supposed to do now? She had lost everything within the span of one night. She’ll never get to hear Yang say the words she yearns to hear, she’ll never get to assure Yang that the feeling is completely mutual. 

She lays there on the park bench for a bit, attempting to control her emotions to prevent any bystanders becoming concerned. After an hour or so, Blake cannot deny the fact that she is absolutely starving. Did she even eat last night? Yang had ordered something for the two of them, but now she can't even remember if she ate or not. Blake rubs her head and tries to relieve the heavy tension resting on her skull along with her burning eyes. Her joints crack as she stands from the small bench. Letting out a sad sigh, the lone cat faunas starts walking through the park toward the heart of the city. 

\----- 

“Oh and one time, I fell head first off my board and landed on a huge piece of coral! You wanna see the scar on my back?” an exuberant monkey faunus asks Blake as she waits for her tea and breakfast inside a small cafe. 

“No thanks,” she curtly responds. The blonde working at the counter seems to completely miss her unenthusiastic attitude. 

“You ever been surfing? Oh! What about scuba diving? You seem like a scuba diving kinda gal,” he says with a wink. 

At this point, Blake is too tired and depressed about her tragic love life to participate in the man’s conversation. She can’t believe anyone would find her the slightest bit appealing right now anyway. Her hair is an absolute mess, she’s sure there are dark bags beneath her eyes, and there’s a fast food wrapper stuck onto her pant leg. Blake ultimately decides bending over to extract the trash requires too much energy. Why shouldn't she look like trash whenever she feels like garbage? 

Her lack of participation in the conversation and horrid appearance does not deter him as he persists, “I’m kinda new here in Vale, so I don’t know too many people just yet.” 

“How dreadful.” 

“Ha! You’re funny.”

Blake feels a tinge of relief as she watches a boy with blue hair arrive from the kitchen holding her bag of food. She really didn’t have it in her for talking to strangers right now. Well, Blake doesn’t necessarily excel in that category in general, but she definitely could not manage it today. 

“Also, I keep losing things. It’s been soooo weird,” he says and his smile slowly grows bigger as if he's in some sort of inside joke only he knows. 

“That's quite peculiar,” Blake mutters as she is clearly only focused on what’s in front of her. Her eyes do not leave the approaching take out bag. 

As the skinny blue-haired boy extends his arms to hand Blake her food, the blonde intercepts and grabs a hold of the bag and raises it above his head. Blake nearly cries out in anguish because of the oblivious worker preventing her from stuffing her face with a delicious salmon bagel. 

She glares at the obstacle before her, but he simply smiles and blurts out, “Like I said i’ve been losing a lot of my stuff lately. I’ve even lost my phone number… Can I have yours instead?” 

Blake squints at the boy in front of her as though he’s from another planet. _What the hell did he just say?_ The last twenty-four hours have been some of the worst of Blake’s life. She believes her best friend/ love of her life is now locked away, she got a terrible night’s sleep, and her stomach is most likely eating itself now. It takes her a moment to even decipher the meaning behind the stranger’s words. 

The blonde stands, waiting for an answer from Blake. He watches her eyes drift down to her pant leg and he nearly squeals in excitement. The dark haired girl takes the fast food paper from her leg and shoves it into his chest. She grunts, then rips the bag of food from his hands. Sun takes no notice to this because he holds up the wrapper as if it’s made out of gold. Blake’s out of the cafe whenever his friend with blue hair approaches him. 

“Sun, why were you hitting on that homeless girl? She looked like she got hit by- what are you holding?” he asks, peering at the crumpled yellow paper being worshipped by the monkey faunus. 

“Neptune my boy I have done it again! I just got a cute girl’s number, and I only had to tell her six of my awesome surfing stories. It just goes to show, they don’t call me the lady’s man for nothing,” Sun responds victoriously as he flexes his arms. 

Neptune steals the wrapper from the other man's hand and inspects its contents. He starts laughing, causing Sun to snap his head to look back at his amused friend. 

“Why are you laughing?” he asks. 

Neptune stops for a moment and places his hand on Sun’s shoulder, “Dude, she just gave you a random hamburger wrapper with nothing on it.” 

“There’s nothing on it?” the blonde asks similar to how a small child would if you were to tell them Santa Claus is not real. 

“Nope it’s literally just garbage. Why are you so sad anyway? She looked like she was lost in another dimension. Also, she growled at you whenever she ripped the bag of food from your hands,” Neptune turns to the garbage can and disposes the wrapper. 

“No dude you don’t get it! She was really cool. I could tell,” Sun defends. 

“Riiiiiight. Okay then, where did this "cool girl" get a **hamburger** wrapper from?”

“Oh yeah. That was stuck on her pants whenever she walked in here.” 

“What the fuck, Sun.” 

\---------

After eating her salmon bagel and tidying up somewhat, Blake’s appearance greatly improved. However, the all consuming feeling of remorse did not leave her. It only seemed to worsen the more she woke up. She considered calling Junior, but she knew he would want no part of dealing with the police. Earlier in the day, Blake had spent a good amount of time googling defense lawyers. After discovering the usual prices of said defense lawyers, her searches became “how to break someone out of jail”. Unless Blake found a way to infiltrate a federal prison or conjure up half a million dollars, bailing out Yang seems impossible to the faunus. 

Her head sinks into a hard pillow and her eyes travel along the ceiling. Not wanting to spend another night on a park bench, Blake settled for a night at a cheap motel. Comfort didn’t matter to the faunus anymore. Whether it was eating or taking a shower, every action she completed was done without thought. 

“What am I supposed to do now,” she whispers to no one. 

“I- I don’t know what to do anymore. Oh God, Yang,” she hates how weak she is. Everytime she thinks of the blonde she begins to cry. 

_How soft you’ve become, Blake. And for a human._ Adam’s voice still manages to repeat inside her head even after all these years. It sends a chill throughout her body and she immediately feels guilty for allowing him to enter Blake’s thoughts. _No. I might be alone, but Yang would hate for me to let him hurt me anymore._

That resolution seems to do the trick and Blake starts to feel sleep taking over her body. She’s exhausted from everything that’s happened within the past two days. 

As she nearly loses herself to slumber, she hears a shrill scream coming from outside. 

“--idiot! You better start this car up in five minutes or I’ll make sure you’ll never work again!” 

Intrigued, Blake rises from the bed and lifts the blinds up to see what is happening outside. In the parking lot, an expensive car sits with smoke coming out from below the hood. The driver blocks the view of the source of the noise and tries to console, what Blake can imagine, a very snobby boss. The poor man quickly promises to get the car started, then bolts into the lobby of the motel. Without the man blocking her view, Blake understands the man’s fear. White hair pulled into a high ponytail and a short white dress probably worth more than most people’s monthly rent meets her eyes. Weiss Schnee stands outside her room, impatiently tapping her foot. Her thoughts struggle to remain logical and Yang's stupid pretty smile keeps flashing in Blake's mind on repeat. Blake stares at Weiss for a moment and then is struck with a new idea of how to free Yang. A horrible, horrible idea. But, she figures there's nothing more to lose at this point. She makes her way out of her motel room door and into the lobby. 

Approaching Weiss’s driver, Blake taps him on the shoulder, “Ah! S-Sorry, ma'am. you just scared me little that’s all.” The man responds quickly and tries to give her an apologetic smile. 

Blake looks at his face and finds it covered with scales. A faunus of somesort. Most likely a lizard or snake. 

She wiggles her ears to catch his attention then leans in and whispers, “let me deal with the Schnee. I know a thing or two about fixing cars. I think I can get it started up in a few minutes. I’ll drive her back to her place.” 

“Y-You? You can't. I'm her driver! I don’t even know who you are,” he responds with a gasp. 

“Do you really want to deal with her anymore?” Blake asks and is met with the man’s head hesitantly shaking no. 

“Then let me take her back. Call her family or whatever and say there’s a new employee, or something. You can leave out the back of the motel and never have to deal with Weiss Schnee again.” Blake explains. Her words tumble out fast because of the sudden surge of adrenaline in her system. 

The man ponders for a moment then shoves the keys into Blake’s arms. He lets out a strange nervous noise and then sprints to the back of the building, stumbling over his own feet. 

Turning back once more, he ushers, “You didn’t see any of this.” Then runs out the back door and into the city. 

With the car keys in her hand and an insane plan blossoming in her head, Blake heads in the direction of the parking lot outside. Blake knows she won’t be able to convince the Schnee she’s her new driver. No. That’s not her ultimate plan, afterall. _I’m literally insane. I’ve completely lost it. Jesus Christ, Yang. What am I about to do. If this works, you better be my girlfriend. If I’m not in prison, which I will be. Oh well. We’ll be in prison together. Prison girlfriends. Someone help me._

She lets out a long breath and steps outside to face the person that could potentially lead to her and Yang's happily ever after, or a lifetime in prison. The door flies open and there's no going back now. Blake Belladonna stops thinking about the risks of her plan as sunlight streams onto her face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's Blake's plan??? I have a thing for Yang and Blake switching tactics. Like instead of Yang being the one rushing into situations, I like to think of Blake having to resort to that strategy in times of desperation. Also, imagining the normally logical Blake turning into a crazy mess when there are no other options is hilarious to me. And I think Blake may have questionable morals at times (like her bragging about breaking into Atlas's security). Anywho, next chapter will get even crazier and should be fun. Thanks!


	6. What's your name?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing the legend: Maria Calavera. Why don't people use her more while writing? She's probably like my fourth favorite character. I also like her and Yang's chemistry together because I like to think she's like Yang's foster grandma who she fights with. Also there is a fair amount of fluff from the bees and the fair game couple. Anyway, thanks for clicking!

“Ugh! Where did he go! You there! Do you know where my driver went? Hello? Are you even listening to me, or are you deaf? Or stupid. I see it’s one of the two. This day cannot get any worse than it is right now. Why are you staring at me like that!” Weiss snaps without taking a breath at Blake who’s rapid heartbeat is making it difficult to respond. Or think. Or breath. 

“He went away somewhere… else,” Blake says not so eloquently. Her brain throbs harshly, and she can feel her eye wanting to twitch. Nerves were definitely not her strong suit. Especially when they were this intense.

“Away?! Where? Answer me already! Don’t you know how to speak in complete sentences?” 

_What am I supposed to say? I need her to believe I’m trustworthy. I need to get this car started, and I need her in it when it’s started... If it ever starts._

Without thinking any further, Blake blurts, “I’m ummm… a mechanic. I work at a mechanic’s shop. I think… I can fix your car for you.” 

_Why did I say that?! Oh no. I don’t know anything about cars! That was always Yang’s forte. Well, I did watch her fix some cars before. Maybe I’ll remember something._

“You’re a mechanic?” Weiss asks, not sounding convinced that the girl in front of her is telling the truth. 

“Yes. I am. Let me take a look under the… hood, and I’ll see what I can-” 

“Prove it.” 

“What?” Blake asks as her face starts to pale. 

“What, do you think I’m just going to let some stranger start poking around in my father’s car? Prove to me that you are a licensed mechanic. Surely, you must have a business card or something that shows you are legitimate and not some **fraud** ,” she finishes with a harsh tone. 

Taking off the bag from her back, Blake bends over and starts nervously digging around for something. 

“Oh yes… Let me look here in my bag for my… business card.” 

_Please still be in here. Please still be in here._

Finding the small piece of paper she was looking for, Blake shoots up to her feet and thrusts her hand forward. Within her grip, she holds a small business card that appears to have been used many times in the past. The corners are slightly bent and the white coloring is not as vibrant as it once was. It was a stretch, but maybe the small piece of paper would be enough to convince the other girl that Blake is somehow skilled in the area of mechanics. Yang had always kept the business card around for laughs. It held memories, which in Blake’s opinion were not pleasant, but for some reason Yang had insisted on keeping the card around just in case something would come up. Blake’s hand slightly shakes as she remembers exactly what is written upon the faux business card. _There’s no way Schnee’s going to fall for it._

Snatching the card out of Blake’s hand, Weiss reads the text aloud, “ _Wong Kok, we’ll fix your car, you’ll go to our bar.”_ She scoffs and glares at the faunus in front of her. 

“You have to be kidding me. _Wong Kok,_ really _?_ That’s not even clever, that's just disgusting. What kind of con artist are you anyway? Not a very good one I’ll tell you-” 

Blake stops the other girl from continuing by blurting out, “I assure you, Miss Schnee, we are a legitimate business. Wong… Kok only gives the best service possible for our clients. Would you like to speak to my boss? He would be happy to relieve you of any worries of my skills.” 

Weiss continues to stare at the faunus, hoping that she will break under her icy gaze, but eventually pulls out her scroll and dials the number written across the bottom of the piece of paper. 

Before she presses call, Weiss leans in and whispers, “If this is some kind of joke… you don’t want to know what I’ll do.” 

Blake gives a little nod and feels the sweat starting to bead on her forehead. _Please pick up. Please pick up, Junior._

\--------------

“Melanie, pick up the scroll already!” a large bearded man screams as he sits in front of his computer screen at his desk. The computer screen displays the image of a dark skinned woman with green hair sitting next to a pale man with silver hair. The two appeared deep in conversation with another, but really they were bickering and throwing insults back and forth. 

Junior diverts his eyes from the computer screen and says, “Mel, if it’s Torchwick calling, tell him I’m not interested in smuggling those exotic turtles again. Last time I did that, the damn thing bit the tip of my thumb off! Tell him I’m done with animal trading unless it’s those cute lemurs with the big eyes. Those are the only exceptions I’m willing to make.” 

Turning back to the computer, he speaks to the two people arguing in front of him, “Sorry about that guys. Now, Emerald. Mercury. How real does this cardboard cutout look? Will people believe it’s the real Lisa Lavender, or will they have their suspicions?” 

Melanie walks into his doorway while still holding the scroll. Soon after she enters, a girl nearly identical to her follows behind. Both seem highly uninterested. 

“You should answer it. It’s the scroll you used for the fake mechanic business con from a couple years ago. The one you made up when Yang pretended that her father owned the mechanic business, but it was really just a trap for you to steal people’s radio systems,” she says as the phone continues to obnoxiously ring. 

Junior laughs at the memory. _That was a good gig. Why did we stop doing that? Oh right, I got arrested and it took_ **_a lot_ ** _of bail money to get out._

“Alright, let me see. We’ll discuss more of this later you two. Try not to kill one another” he turns off his computer then comments, “It’s probably just a telemarketer. No one’s used that number in ages.” 

He grabs the device and as soon as he presses answer, a shrill voice cuts through. 

\------------

Weiss doesn’t waste a second before she starts speaking to the person on the opposite end of the line. 

“Are you the owner of,” she lets out a long huff while glaring at Blake, “ _Wong Kok’s_ mechanic business?” 

“Why yes I am! Hello Ms! My name is Bolin Lee, owner of Wong Kok’s Mechanic Shop and Diner/Bar. How can I help you today, ma’am?” 

Weiss’s eyes widen and her expression shifts from anger to confusion. She wasn’t expecting a response at all, and so far this one sounded somewhat legitimate. 

“Umm… well I was wondering if one of your employees goes by the name,” she turns to Blake and waits for a response.

“Blake. My name’s Blake.” she answers feelings slightly more confident that Junior seems to be playing along.

Weiss’s eyebrows pinch together after that response, given that she did not provide a last name. However, she decides to ignore that factor; hoping to expose the dark haired girl with the next question. 

“Blake. Do you have anyone employed under the name Blake?” 

A loud laugh sounds from the other side of the conversation, “Blake? Of course I know that girl! Only my favorite black-haired cat faunus. She’s with you right now?” 

“Yes. She has offered to help me fix my car that has broken down, and I wanted to make sure she is a legitimate mechanic. Afterall, she looks very young and does not seem to have any tools or supplies with her.” 

The man on the phone confidently assures, “Oh that's Blake for ya. She may not seem like it, but she’s a hoot! All the tools she needs are locked away in that smart brain she has. Don’t worry about a thing, ma’am. Blake is the most skilled mechanic I’ve ever seen! Just let her do her magic, and I know you’ll be satisfied with the results.” 

“Well, okay Mr. Lee, but I still have a few questions-” 

“Sorry to cut you short ma’am, but I have a long line of customers right now. You know how people get when they're waiting for an oil change! Have a nice day!” The scroll hangs up before Weiss has a chance to continue. 

\-----------

Junior hangs up the phone and asks the two girls in front of him, “okay, why the hell is Blake pretending like she can fix a car? The girl never liked to do anything if it involved dirt and grime. Not to mention, I’m almost positive sure that was a damn Schnee on the phone. What’s she doing with a Schnee?” 

The twins look at each other, then Miltia responds, “I think we’re more curious as to why Blake’s working alone. Why didn’t she mention Yang?” 

Before Junior can respond, Melanie finishes her twin’s thought, “Even if they were trying to trick the Schnee with the business card, Yang would be the one to call and play the part. Yang used to fix the cars out in the garage, so she’s at least somewhat believable. Blake’s never fixed a car in her life.” 

The large man doesn’t respond to their questions. Instead, he rubs his chin thoughtfully and considers all the new information he has received, 

_That is… weird. Very weird._

\-----------

“Well, I still don’t completely trust you, but I suppose you can look and see if you know what’s wrong with the car,” Weiss says as she pulls out her scroll, “I’m going to call my father and inform him.”

Blake nods and approaches the hood. How do you even open up the hood of a car? _Come on Yang used to do this all the time. She even let me help that one time._

Thinking back to that day she had helped Yang in Junior’s garage, Blake couldn’t help but smile at the memories. It was the first summer she had spent with Yang. Junior had let the blonde poke around at the cars within the garage, which left the other girl absolutely ecstatic. Blake didn’t understand why Yang was so excited, and eventually questioned her friend why she liked working on cars so much. 

“I don’t know, I guess I just like taking something that seems too broken to ever work again and then fixing it.” Yang said with a small shrug and a little smile. 

“I see, you like to play the role of the miracle worker then, is that it?” Blake questioned smugly. 

Yang laughed and shook her head. Her next response was delivered almost shyly, “I think- I think I started liking it because of my dad. Before I ever had to live with my mom, my dad would sit me in his garage, and I’d watch him work on cars. He loved taking old models and making them look brand new. He… he would let me look at all his tools and answer all my questions I’d ask him, even if they were stupid.” 

She laughed softly and finished quietly, “when I work on cars it reminds me of my dad and the times I spent with him. I think that’s why I like it so much.” 

The way the blonde’s face fell broke Blake’s heart. At the time she didn’t understand why it had affected her so greatly, but now Blake knows it was because seeing the blonde unhappy had always been her weakness. Blake looked intently at her friend, then moved closer. Yang’s eyes widened as she realized that Blake had grabbed her greasy hand and intertwined their fingers together. 

The faunus smiled sweetly and tilted her head to the side, “would you mind if I watched you and asked stupid questions?” 

“No, you can watch,” Yang’s smile grew even bigger and the sadness in her face seemed to completely disappear, “you can help me even!” 

Blake’s cheeks began to feel warm to her surprise, but she decided she liked how it felt. Seeing Yang so happy because of something she said struck a chord deep within her heart. It never felt like that with Adam. He never looked at her the way Yang did. His eyes didn’t crease in the corners in joy. His laugh compared to Yang’s was dull and lifeless. Even during that summer, Blake realized that her relationship with Yang was vastly different than the one she and Adam had. For the first time in a long time, Blake’s heart began to beat rapidly in her chest, but not out of fear. It beat out of adoration. 

She couldn’t help herself from smiling at Yang before she said, “I don’t know if you want my help, blondie.” 

Yang made a disgusted face and replied, “ewww you sound like Junior. I hate it when he calls me that. However, I know for a fact that I need your help Ms. Belladonna. Not only that, I also _want_ you to help me as well.”

While Blake thought Yang’s words were sweet, she couldn’t help but tease her some. 

“You need and want me? Wow. This is all very sudden, Yang. I’m not sure how to respond.” 

Yang’s face erupted into flames as she rapidly began to clarify what she had meant. Blake ended up having to clutch her side from laughing so hard. 

Yang blew at the bangs in front of her face before she started to smirk evilly. 

“Well, you were the one who said you wanted to _watch_ me. What exactly did you want to watch Belladonna? Hoping that I get hot enough and have to take off my shirt?” 

Blake stopped her laughing completely and looked at Yang with a shocked expression. Her eyes became glued on one of Yang’s hand as it lowered to the hem of her shirt. However, she did not notice Yang’s other hand traveling to the back of her pants. Blake was utterly surprised as Yang snatched a filthy rag from her back pocket and gave her a mischievous smile. 

“Yang Xiao Long don’t you dare touch-” 

Launching forward, Yang put Blake into a loose headlock and started to rub the oil stained piece of fabric across her face. Their wrestling continued for some time, until the two girls found themselves laughing together on the floor; both covered in oil with large smiles on their faces. Eventually, Yang did let Blake help her with fixing the car. Blake knew she was not much of a help. She was just happy that day that she got to see Yang and herself act so carefree and joyful. 

Now, Blake stares at the front of the car and tries to push back the details of that day that she will forever cherish. She needs to remember the things that Yang had taught her. 

\-------------------------

“And my hair. It looks good right? Doesn’t look weird? You can tell me if it looks weird. I have more hair gel that I can use if I need to. Or should I have not put any hair gel in? Do I look like I haven’t bathed in several days?” Clover rapidly asks his boyfriend. 

He paces around their bedroom while checking his reflection several times in the mirror. Qrow sits on their bed and sighs. It was no use. Whenever Clover gets like this, it is almost impossible for Qrow to calm him down. He tries his best and usually succeeds somewhat, but today’s tasks are going to continue causing the detective anxiety. Because today, Clover Ebi is scheduled to give a speech in front of the entire Vale’s police department about the new developments in the Branwen case. Then they’re going to send out the entire force to search for Raven’s daughter and spend the hours looking in every nook and cranny of Vale’s streets. Then _after that_ , Clover could start to worry about the speech he is scheduled to give in front of the _entire_ town in a few days. To say his current situation is stressful seemed like an understatement and a half. 

Clover considered himself a very confident man, but he also knew that his strong perfectionist streak seemed to turn him into a nervous wreck whenever these occasions arised. He is and has always been afraid of failure. Afraid of people forming negative opinions about him. 

“Clove, your hair looks great, like always. Your outfit looks great, like always. And you’re going to do great, _like always._ Are ya starting to see the pattern here?” Qrow reassures with an amused smile on his face. 

Clover exhales and fidgets with his tie once again, “I’m sorry. I know I’m a monster when I get like this.” 

Qrow stands up and walks up behind the other man. He gently places his hands over Clover’s ties and adjusts it slightly; fingers lazily running along Clover’s chest. His red eyes meet with nervous green ones in the mirror. 

“You’re not a monster. You’re just nervous and even though I can’t necessarily relate to how much these speeches affect you, I can understand why you feel this way. I understand, and I will try and help you in any way I can to make you feel better.” He finishes by leaning his head against Clover’s shoulder and placing a soft kiss. 

The other man closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, then turns to meet his boyfriend’s eyes while keeping himself within Qrow’s embrace. Clover leans in closer and meets Qrow’s lips. He manages to momentarily forget his overwhelming worries as he cups Qrow’s face in both of his hands and deepens the kiss. Qrow smirks when he feels the other man start to guide them back towards their bed. Before he can voice this, the back of his legs hit the side of the bed and he falls onto his back with Clover hovering above him. Qrow internally sighs because he knows they have to leave very soon, but he finds it hard to deny his boyfriend kissing him desperately while pushing his body up against his own. With one final kiss, Qrow places his hands on Clover’s shoulders and pushes him back slightly. His green eyes flutter open and look down at Qrow’s pink cheeks. 

“As much as I would love to spend the day in bed with you, we have to get going. Goodwitch will have your head if you keep her waiting, you know.” Qrow says while running his fingers through Clover’s chestnut hair. 

“Oh nooooo. I forgot about her.” He says and collapses onto Qrow completely. 

The other man laughs, causing Clover to glare at him dangerously, “so you think it’s funny that I am currently being tortured?” 

“Only slightly. A little torturing can be funny.” 

“That’s morbid.” 

“Oh well.”

Clover laughs but then gives Qrow one last peck on the lips, “thank you for always being here for me. It means so much… I just always think how lucky I am to have you in my life.” 

“Yeah, Yeah. I’m the most amazing boyfriend in the world. I’ve heard it before. You need to work on some new material” Qrow says while playfully rolling his eyes. 

“Well, I guess I’m going to have to lay off the complements because you seem to be getting a little too cocky mister.” Clover pinches Qrow’s side and laughs at the squeak that comes out of his boyfriend’s mouth. 

“That was not funny, so stop laughing.” 

“If it wasn’t funny, then why are you smiling, Branwen?” 

“I smile at those who I have pity for. Sorry, babe.”

Clover lets out a loud laugh at that and stands up from their bed. He stretches out his hand for Qrow to take, and Clover finally feels ready to give this speech. 

\------------------------------------

Tree branches and twigs crunch loudly against the otherwise still night. With each snap of wood, a long string of expletives follow. Yang grunts and pulls off a vine that has attached itself onto her pant leg. If she had not been walking for hours through the dense forest and had lost the most important person in her life, the blonde woman would have appreciated the cool Vale night. Her clothing had considerably dried throughout her journey, but one glaring problem remained and seemed only to grow stronger with each passing minute. She’s absolutely starving. 

Breaking out of the brush, Yang notices that she has ended up in somebody’s backyard. An old log cabin with a tall roof and wide chimney sits facing away from the woman. In front of her, Yang notices lines of produce growing from dark, rich soil. Trees with apples, pears, oranges, and several other kinds of fruit were visible even from afar. Yang’s eyes fall onto a crop of green plants with bright red berries, which instantly makes her stomach begin to growl. _From the looks of it, there’s enough strawberries to feed an entire crowd. Whoever lives here won’t notice if I have some._ She begins to make her way closer to the plants, making sure there isn’t anyone else outside to catch her. With each quick step, she glances at the cabin yards away. The lights aren’t on, and there didn’t seem to be any movement within. 

When Yang finally reaches the plants, she sinks down onto her knees and starts studying their contents. Hurriedly, she begins to collect the crimson berries and places them inside her jacket’s pockets. She focuses on picking each berry; careful not to ruin the small fruit with her frantic movements. She realizes that she is not being gentle in her treatment of the fruit, but her hunger seems to control her actions. Her brown bomber jacket’s pockets soon became completely full within a minute of picking. 

_I should take some of those apples too. And pears. Also oranges. That’s going to be a lot of food. I can carry those in my arms if I have t-- OW!_

A loud crack rings in the air and it takes Yang a moment to realize that her skull had been the object to produce that sound. Instantly, her hands shoot to her head and she fights to keep her eyes from screwing shut. Reluctantly, she forces her eyes to focus on the small figure standing right in front of her. She starts to speak before the person lifts their arm, and thumps her in the head with a wooden cane once again. 

“OW! Come on lady stop that! I’m sorry I’ll leave, just don’t- OW!” Yang flails her hands around but grabs onto the stranger’s cane to prevent another strike. 

“You better let go of my cane, child, or i’ll have the police down her in five minutes for stealing my fruit, and for attacking a defenseless old lady.” The woman says and surprisingly almost rips the cane out of Yang’s hands. 

_Defenseless my ass._ Yang stares down at the small old woman and notices her black sunglasses. They didn’t appear to be normal sunglasses, however. _Maybe she’s blind._ Yang thinks to herself. _I might be able to get out of this one._ Letting go of the cane, Yang quickly steps away from the woman without saying a word. She waits for a moment, staring at the small woman in front of her. She hardly breathes and starts to turn around; thinking the woman doesn’t know where she is anywhere. 

“What are you just going to stand there and pretend like nothing happened? Say something you little brat,” the woman chides while Yang stays completely silent; hoping that the woman will think she ran away. 

“I’m blind not stupid. I heard you picking my strawberries from the porch. You sure do a poor job at being discreet. Even now, you think just standing there like some moron will throw me off. Honestly, if you want to steal from someone, at least put some effort into it.” 

“Well, what do you want me to say to you?!” Yang snaps in frustration. 

“You should say that you’re sorry for stealing my strawberries, and that you would be happy to make up for your unsavory actions.” The old woman states as though it’s the obvious answer. 

Yang laughs at this remark and counters, “Why would I do that? I could just run into the woods right now. You’d never see- well… you’d never have to talk to me again.” 

“Perhaps,” the woman starts then continues in a knowing voice, “you could run away from _my_ home with your pockets full of _my_ berries. I suppose I would never have to interact with you ever again. But, if you were to run right now, I’d call the sheriff and tell her that some young girl broke into my yard, stole from my beloved garden, and then harassed me relentlessly.” 

Beginning to grow nervous at the woman’s words, Yang fires back, “even if you did that, the sheriff wouldn’t be able to find me. The police force in this town probably only has like five cops. Also, you wouldn’t be able to give a description of what I looked like anyway!” 

“Yes, you are correct about that. My old eyes don’t work as they used to, so I have no idea as to what you look like. However, from the way you were manhandling my plants, I have a feeling you most likely left some kind of trail through the woods. Broken tree branches, snapped twigs. Does any of that sound familiar?” 

Yang gulps and peers back at the woods at the visible path of destruction she had left behind. Yang remembers Blake’s teasing words she had said before in the past. _You’re as subtle as fireworks being lit on the Fourth of July, Yang,_

Breaking her out of her train of thought, the stranger continues, “and finally, you could try and escape, flee from the town's sheriff and her deputy, but you know those strawberries won’t hold you over for long. The sheriff, Robyn Hill, is a rather determined woman. She’ll chase you for hours, and I’m serious when I say she’ll chase you down to the end of the earth if she thinks you had caused trouble in her town. All that running with only a stomach full of strawberries? Doesn’t sound very logical to me. You’ll be starving, exhausted, and probably freeze to death if you decide to flee.” 

The old lady sighs and starts to turn away from Yang, “but go on. You clearly are more skilled than I had originally believed. I’ll call Robyn while you get going. I’ll even give you a head start.” 

Yang watches in horror as the woman makes her way to the back door of the cabin. Weighing her options, Yang ultimately speaks out. 

“What… what would I have to do for you… to make up for the berries?” she questions slowly. 

Stopping in her tracks, the old woman says, “well, you could tell me what your name is for starters.” 

“My name’s Yang.”

The woman walks up to Yang and questions with a slight scowl,“just Yang? No last name?” 

The blonde hesitates. She couldn’t use Branwen, she knew that for a fact. _This lady’s really observant, though. I don’t think she would believe me if I chose a fake name._

Deciding it was technically true, she answers, “Xiao Long. Yang Xiao Long.”

“Yang Xiao Long huh? That’s definitely not very common” 

“Yeah, I’m named after my- my dad,” she closes her eyes at that statement and lets out a shaky breath. Seeming to sense Yang’s change of mood, the woman stays silent. 

Eventually, Yang speaks out again, “what’s your name?”

“My name is Maria Calavera, and I’ve got a list of things that I need done that my old bones can’t do anymore. I hope you like pulling weeds and fixing leaky roofs because that's what I'm going to have you do tomorrow. After breakfast, of course.” 

Maria gestures for the girl to follow her towards her house. She lets Yang walk in front and continues to rant, “But first, we’re getting you out of those clothes. You smell awful.” 

Yang gasps as she steps into the cabin and starts to retort before Maria continues, “also, I can hear your stomach growl from a mile away! It sounds like some sort of wild animal. You’re lucky I just started dinner or else-” 

As Maria closes the door, her and Yang’s voice becomes muffled. The inside of the cabin lights up, and the two guests within become recognizable from the soft orange lighting. Unknowing to either of the women, someone else had emerged from the woods. But unlike Yang, they had been very discreet while approaching the old log cabin. Eyes peer through the window and instantly find the wild blonde hair they had been searching for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was very fun to write and hopefully my flashbacks aren't getting annoying. I can't help but write fluffy bees so I feel the need to incorporate happy flashbacks whenever I can. Next chapter should come out faster, but who knows. Thanks for reading (:


	7. Step One: Completed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of Blake's plan officially gets completed. Now what? Also, Maria is my favorite adult in RWBY and you can't change my mind. Fairgame will be in the next chapter, promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while guys. I got caught up in the other story then lost motivation. Thanks for clicking though!

“Are you almost done?” Weiss asks for the fourth time in an hour.

“Get in and try and start it up,” Blake said while wiping sweat off of her forehead. She didn’t believe that the car would possibly start. It had been an absolute guessing game to Blake; pulling and yanking random parts from under the car’s hood. Her plan was not going to work.

Huffing, Weiss tapped her foot in annoyance and fixed a cold glare onto the other girl.

“I do not start cars. I have never driven in my entire life, and I don’t plan on starting now.”

“But you wouldn’t be driving you’d just be starting-”

“Never.” Blake rolled her eyes and muttered unfriendly words under her breath. She made her way into the driver's seat of the luxurious car and twisted the key; not expecting it to start up without any problems.

Weiss stands on the other side of the car door and stares at Blake with a confused look.

“You actually started it…” Blake couldn’t even feel insulted by the other girl’s surprise because she was just as shocked.

_Guess I did learn something after all, Yang. Wait… That means the plan is still on. I didn’t think I would get this far._

The heiress huffed and marched to the door leading into the backseat. She opened it, then sat down without looking up from her scroll. Blake stayed in the driver’s seat watching the other woman. Was it really going to be this easy?

Blue eyes snapped up to meet Blake’s yellow ones. Having enough of the silence, Wiess spoke up in her usual snippy tone, “stop staring at me like that. It’s quite rude, you know. I thought it was common knowledge not to gawk at others. Since my old driver is gone, you can drive me to my father’s home, then you two can figure out the payment details.”

Blake continued to stare, until she regained her composure. “Alright, Miss Schnee. May I have your address?”

Weiss groaned and complained, “address? I live in a mansion that’s larger than seventy percent of the buildings in all of Vale. How do you not know where it’s located?”

Keeping her expression neutral, Blake lied, “sorry, ma’am. I’m not too familiar with the area. You can tell me the directions or I could stop and look at a map?”

“Do you not have a scroll? GPS is much faster.” She was obviously tired of this conversation, and Blake hoped that that would benefit her.

Blake shoved her scroll further into her pocket and kept her tone easy going. “No. I don’t have a scroll. Perhaps, I could use your’s to quicken the trip?” She looked up into the mirror and watched Weiss’s face. The girl contemplated the question for a few seconds, then looked down as she received a text. Whatever the text message read made her face fall. She suddenly looked sad, hurt.

She swallowed and swiped a few more times on the screen. “Here. Just click on the GPS app and my address should already be in there."

Trying to throw off any suspicion, Blake innocently asks, “you aren’t going to be needing this for the ride? Just in case you receive any new messages?”

Weiss’s eyes shoot up to meet Blake’s and she responds in concealed anger, “no, I don’t need it, and I’m not going to receive any texts that I want to read.”

Blake nodded and almost felt bad for the other woman’s distress. Obviously, the people in Weiss’s life were not kind to her. However, Blake couldn’t feel too sorry for the daughter of Jacques Schnee, one of the most despicable men to ever have lived. The struggles she’s had to face because of his racist ideologies toward the faunus have caused her so much pain throughout the years. Weiss isn’t any better than her father, Blake convinced herself. She had to believe it if she wanted to successfully carry through with her plan.

Opening up the woman’s scroll, Blake finds the settings option. She looks for a moment, then finds a button that reads Erase All Content. Clicking that option, the scroll’s screen turns to black, and the device is now impossible to track. Blake positions the cleared scroll to her left, making Weiss unable to see it from the backseat. Not that she was paying any attention to Blake anymore. Her eyes focused blankly on the parking lot out the window.

Sucking in a deep breath, Blake Belladonna accepts her fate and pulls out of the motel’s parking lot; driving onto the street. The sky is black at this point, and Blake hopes that the lack of daylight will plunge the car into darkness.

\--------------  
Maria listens to the footsteps coming from the upstairs part of her home. Yang complained that it was covered in dust and cobwebs, which wasn’t unusual since the old woman rarely ventured to that part of her home these days. There was no need to, since she was the only one who lived in her large home. She has lived alone her entire life; even before she lost her vision. The upstairs was an area that she forgot existed, but long time agothat section of the house filled her with hope. Hope that one day she could fill those empty rooms with people. Family. But sadly, life is cruel, and those dreams were never fulfilled.

Now, she has a loud, obnoxious teenager stomping above her head as she tries to figure out how to turn on the shower.

“Would you quiet down! You sound like an elephant stomping around up there!” She heard the girl yell back but ignored her words and turned her attention back at the dinner on the stovetop.

It’s been over ten years since anyone besides her old friend Pietro and old enemy Cordovan have visited her home. Pietro stopped by once a week to pick up fruit and drop off her groceries from town. Cordovan popped her head in once and a while and tried to get Maria to buy her baked goods. That always ended in a vicious fight that could last for hours. Those were the only interactions she ever had with people these days. It was a quiet life that she had gotten so used to, she never even thought about the loneliness anymore. After losing her eyesight, she didn’t want to go out in public. It would just be a stark reminder of the failures that have occured within her time on Remnant.

Her hands moved in front of the pot, trying to find the rubber handle. The flame on the stove diminished, and she gripped the pot firmly in her calloused hands. There were two plates on the table tonight. That seemed strange to her. A meal with company. _If you could call that brat company, that is._

She fixed her plate with a healthy serving of pasta, then did the same for the other dish. Yang’s footsteps were approaching the kitchen and Maria’s nose could pick up on the faint scent of shampoo.

_At least she figured out how to work the shower, and I won’t have to worry about her dirtying my home._

Yang walked through the doorway of the kitchen and complained, “that shampoo and conditioner expired like ten years ago! Why couldn’t I use some of your’s?”

“I’m so sorry that I didn’t give you better quality hair products. Would you like for me to ask the Sheriff if the jailhouse has any better products?” The other girl sighed and slumped into the chair in front of Maria. She looked down at the pasta and felt her stomach start to growl.

“No, the shampoo here is just fine. It’s only going to dry out my hair and make it lose all of its shine. No biggie.” She picked up a forkful of pasta and nearly moaned when it entered her mouth. For a blind lady, Maria could cook.

Maria rolled her eyes under her shades and listened closely to the other girl as she ate. She knew she was young, scared of being turned into the police, nearly starving, and exhausted from running through the woods all day.

 _Something or someone is after her_ , Maria thought to herself.

“Any reason why you’ve been trampling through the woods here?” Silence continued after the question. Yang looked down at her plate and tried to think of something to say. She was too tired to think of a lie, but Maria couldn’t know who she was or that the entire Vale police department is searching for her.

“I… got into some trouble and didn’t have anywhere to go, so I ran into the woods. I didn’t mean to get so far out, but I fell and ended up in a river at the bottom of a huge hill. So… I just started walking, trying to find somewhere to regroup, I guess.” She watched the old woman’s face, desperately hoping that she wouldn’t decide to throw her out right then and there. She didn’t lie, she just didn’t elaborate on the severity of the situation.

Maria hummed and stood up to retrieve the pot once more. “And what kind of trouble are we talking about? More stealing?”

Yang winced and gave a tired chuckle. “There was some snobby lady at the mall, and I got caught taking some cash from her purse. It… was stupid, but I needed some money if I wanted to eat. I-I know what I did to her and to you was wrong, so I really am sorry. We just don’t know how to get by doing anything else.”

“We?” Yang’s face lost all color as she realized her slip of tongue. There was no way in hell she was going to bring Blake into this mess.

“I mean I. Me. I don’t know how to get by without stealing. It’s what I’ve had to do for years” The woman’s face let Yang know she wasn’t believing her, but she didn’t pry.

Maria moved closer to the blonde and ran her hand across the table. Yang didn’t understand what she was doing until she saw the woman’s hand find her plate. Scooping up a large spoonful of pasta, Maria filled her plate up again. She walked back to her seat and folded her arms out in front of her.

“I appreciate the honesty, but I do not care if that’s what you’ve had to do to survive. You stole from me and probably countless others. Whether or not it was out of necessity, that does not make it any less of a crime.” Yang lowered her head in shame and refused to look up at Maria. “And, there must to be consequences for your actions.”

“Consequences?” She despised how weak her voice sounded, but she couldn’t help it.

“You are going to help me with my garden, replace the shingles on the roof, and help with all the other chores around the house.” Yang nodded at each point the woman made. “You’ll help me do all of these things until I believe you’ve earned your forgiveness.”

“Wait-” Yang started to panic --”how long is that going to be?” Maria shrugged her shoulders and gestured to her plate.

“I’m not sure. We’ll have to wait and find out. Really, you should be grateful I’m not going to call the police, and that I’m feeding you.”

She couldn’t stay here! Blake was still out there somewhere. She needed to find her and make sure she was okay. But, would Blake be safer without Yang by her side? The police department’s looking everywhere for her, and Blake would just keep getting mixed up into more trouble. Maybe… she could wait for a little bit and stay at Maria’s house. Let the panic die off some, then she could return to Vale. She’d find Junior and it wouldn’t take long before she could locate Blake.

Then, Yang could tell her all the things she wanted to say without having to worry about being imprisoned. They could leave together and find somewhere else to stay, maybe Vacuo or Patch.

Seeing as there were no other options, and that her arm was pulsating painfully, Yang set down her fork and cleared her throat. “Okay, I’ll help you. I’m pretty good at fixing things, so I think I could start on the roof tomorrow, if you want.”

Maria hummed and stood up from the table. “I’m going to bed. Once you’re done, make sure the dishes find their way into the sink. I wake up much earlier than you’re probably used to, so I wouldn’t reccomend staying up too late.” She stopped next to Yang and brushed her arm over her right shoulder. “If that’s bothering you, there are medical supplies in the top of the pantry. I would offer to wrap it for you, but I don’t believe I’d be much help.”

With that, the old woman walked down the hallway leading to her room. The idea of having somebody else in her home, even if it was a bratty criminal, made a part of the old woman feel warm. Trying to dismiss this feeling, she climbed into bed, turned the lights off, and wondered what tomorrow morning will bring.

\-----------

“I’m sorry, do you mind if I stop here really quick? It will only take a moment.” Blake asked Weiss who had been silent the entire ride so far.

Expecting some sort of complaint, Blake was surprised when the other woman merely nodded her head with her gaze kept unfocused out the window. Strange.

She stepped out of the car and headed inside the cafe she visited earlier in the day. She needed someplace to stop for a moment away from Weiss. Pulling out her scroll, she began to dial Junior’s various numbers. She never remembered which ones were from the burners.

Finally connecting, Blake began to speak before Junior could ask what was going on. “I need someplace to stay. Somewhere secluded.”

The background noise told Blake he was working at the bar tonight. “What? I guess I’ll look into it, kid, but I’m going to need a few days.”

“I don’t have a few days, Junior! I need somewhere to go now!”

Melanie and Milita’s voice rang on the other end, and Blake felt her eye start to twitch in annoyance.

“What the hell is going on with you? What are you doing hanging out with a Schnee?” Junior yelled to be heard over the dance music.

He sounded agitated but at the same time… concerned? It’s not like the man hated her and Yang, but he wasn’t the type to be worried about anyone besides himself.

Continuing, Junior asked, “where’s Yang anyway? Is she with you?”

Blake let out a shaky breath and glanced out the window to make sure Weiss wasn’t outside. The tinted windows of the car didn’t allow her to look inside the vehicle, but she didn’t see Weiss anywhere near the building. Good.

“No, she isn’t. I can’t explain right now what’s happening, but you need to let me go to one of your hideouts. Don’t you have any of those cabins in the woods left?”

“Blake, what did you guys do? Are you in trouble?” Blake nearly screamed at him to stop asking questions but managed to refrain from doing so. The cops haven’t informed the public about Yang yet, so she still had time to act before the whole city knew that Raven Branwen’s daughter was in custody. She needs to get Yang out of jail before the Vale police department exposes her to the entire world.

“Junior, please. I just need somewhere quiet, remote. I want to get away from everything for a little while.” She lied.

“Blake, I’m not going to agree unless you tell me what’s going on right now.”

_I can’t tell you Yang’s been arrested. If I do, then you won’t want to help me._

She rubs her hands against her face and tries to think of what to say to convince Junior. He was a master con, afterall. He wasn’t just going to let Blake stay at one of his hideouts unless it benefitted him. He definitely wouldn’t agree if Blake was just going to avoid answering any of his questions.

Deciding he wasn’t going to be any help, Blake ushers a small goodbye and hangs up. A tap on her arm grabs her attention, and she looks up to meet happy, grey eyes.

“Hey! What’s up? It’s me, Sun! Remember from earlier? I don’t think I ever got your name” The monkey faunus who Blake ordered food from earlier stood and smiled toward her as she sat in a booth.

“Oh, right. Hello. ” Blake was surprised he seemed happy to see her. She wasn’t… quite normal earlier this morning. “Um… it’s Blake.” She felt somewhat bad becase the man appeared to be a genuinely good person, but she didn’t have time to talk to him right now.

“Sorry, I swear I wasn’t like listening to your conversation or anything, but I heard you were looking for someplace to relax.” Wondering where this was going, Blake hesitatley shook her head yes. “Yeah, cool. I get that. It’s nice to just crash somewhere away from everything for a little while. So I was thinking, you can totally say no if you’re not interested, but I have this place out by the coast, well my parents do anyway, but it’s a great place to go with friends and just hang out. Maybe, you’d be interested in going sometime… with like a group! Not just me!”

“You sound like a serial killer, Sun.”

“Shut up, Neptune!”

Blake pondered for a moment. Maybe that could work?

The two men argued back and forth before Blake spoke up, “where exactly is it?”

“Oh! Well right now no one’s there, but I could text you the address and let you know when we’re going to be there. They’re not like parties or anything, but Neptune, Ilia, Sage, Scarlet-”

“Yeah, yeah that sounds great.” She pulled out her scroll and handed it to Sun. “Here, type in your number then you can send me the details.”

She definitely felt horrible for the elated look that appeared on Sun’s face.

_This is so wrong in several different ways._

“Alright, I texted you the address, just so you won’t have to ask later on. Hey, maybe this weekend, if you aren’t busy, I can introduce you to the gang and-”

“Sounds great, thanks so much, Sun. Have a good night you two.”

Blake hurried out the door and cringed as she heard Sun give a victorious whoop. She wasn’t going to stay there for long. She just needed a few days, then she’d be able to get Yang out. They could disappear somewhere else, and Sun wouldn’t have to get hurt by her.

She opens up the car door and weakly greets Weiss in the backseat. This next part was going to be… unpleasant. The plan had formed in her head before she could think about what it truly entailed. She pulled the car into an empty alleyway and hopped out of the front seat. From her drawstring bag, she pulled out one of Yang’s bandanas she wore occasionally.

“Hey why did you- HEY! What are you doing, you heathen!” Weiss tried to wiggle out of Blake’s hold but failed to break away from the other girl’s grip. Blake brought Weiss’s hands together behind her back and pressed them together. Attempting to use the piece of fabric to tie them together.

“Stop moving so much! I’m not going to hurt you, just stay still-OW” Blake yelled out in pain as the other girl headbutted her. Blake rolled back out of the car with Weiss’s hands still firmly gripped in her own.

Both girls fell onto the cement ground of the alleyway with Weiss laying on top of Blake.

“HELP! SOMEONE-” Blake let one of her hands leave Weiss’s and shoved it over her mouth to quiet her.

With one hand now freed from Blake’s grasp, the small woman began to lash out against Blake’s front.

“Ugh! Stop hitting me and stay still! I don’t want to hurt you-” Blake groaned and cringed as she felt a bony elbow drive into her chest. “OW! You elbowed me in the boob!”

Blake took her hand off Weiss’s mouth to grip the arm currently assaulting her.

Now having her mouth unblocked, Weiss yells, ”you’re trying to kidnap me! Why are you surprised I hit you… there! If you don’t let me go, I’m going to make sure you’re never allowed to shop at any Schnee owned organic grocery stores ever again!”

Even amidst the chaos Blake, couldn’t believe her own ears. “That’s the threat you’re going to use against me?! For kidnapping you?”

Using all of her strength, Blake flips them over so Weiss’s front is now pressed against the ground. While she’s not as strong as Yang, Blake still considers herself rather powerful. Especially, if you compare her to the thin heiress underneath her. She ignores Weiss’s shrill complaints and oddly specific threats, then successfully ties her wrists together. Picking up the small girl, Blake throws her in the back seat of the car and looks around; making sure no one was there.

She opens the front seat and harshly exhales from the exertion. “Just be quiet already! You’re voice is like nails on a chalkboard.”

“I will not be quiet you fiend! I knew there was something suspicious about you, but now I know that- HMPH”

Blake sighs in relief as the girl goes silent. She had found another one of Yang’s stupid bandnas and shoved it in the girl’s mouth, effectively muffling her voice.

_Well, you’ve officially kidnapped a billionaire’s daughter. Nice going Blake. I’m sure mom and dad would love it if they ever hear about this._

“Just be quiet okay? Like I said, I don’t want to hurt you. I just need to send a message.” Blake shifts the gear into reverse and exits the alleyway. Pulling out her scroll, she opens Sun’s text message and plugs in the address he sent her.

\------------

The little cabin Sun’s family owned was almost the perfect place to keep a hostage (as morbid as that sounds).

It was miles away from the city, deep within the forest. The backyard had a path that led to the beach, which would have been nice to use if the circumstances were different. And the best part, there wasn’t anybody home.

Blake carried the small woman who complained the entire ride over. Her voice was muffled by the bandana, but she could tell that the heiress was going on a long, continuous tangent.

“Here, you can sleep on the couch down here.” Blake said as she placed Weiss down onto the basement’s couch. There was one door that opened up to the outside, but Blake made sure it was securely locked from the other side (making it impossible for Weiss to get out).

Weiss glared at her. Blake decided to take the bandana out of the woman’s mouth. A small act of kindness that she immediately regretted.

“Oh, thank you so much! I get to sleep on a tiny sofa that has no cushion whatsoever! Wonderful. Also, I’m going to be stuck down here and be subjected to whatever you have in store for me. Hooray.” She glowered at Blake and moved closer. “Is this some weird sexual fantasy-”

“EW! NO! No, it’s not. Dear God. I just need money!” Blake stammered out.

“You did this because you need money?” Sounding unimpressed, Weiss rolled her eyes and sat down onto the couch. “If you want money, why don’t you just be like everyone else and ask for it online? This is the least efficient way of getting it. I’m not in charge of my expenses, my father is, so I won’t be able to give you any. Also, what did you do with my scroll?!”

“I erased everything off of it so no one can track you. And, I know you don’t have control of your “allowance”. I’m not planning on getting the money directly from you.” Blake threw her a blanket and checked to see if the bandana around Weiss’s wrists was still securly tied.

Weiss awkwardly got under the blanket and stared at Blake curiously. She didn’t even look angry, she looked baffled.

“You’re going to use me as leverage to get my father to send you money?” Blake nodded, but her eyes widened as the heiress started to laugh. “Me? You’re putting a ransom out for me! How much are you going to ask for?”

Unsettled by her delight, Blake stuttered, “I don’t know yet! He has billions of dollars! I’ll see what he’ll offer. He spends millions whenever he goes to those stupid art galleries, so I’m not worried about the amount!”

Weiss eventually stopped laughing and shook her head. “Well, you have fun with that. Let me know how it goes. Would you be so kind and turn on the ceiling fan. Thank you.”

“What! You’re my hostage! I don’t have to listen to you!”

Weiss huffed similarly to a child and stuck her chin out to Blake. “Fine. Don’t turn on the fan. I’ll just scream all night, so you won’t be able to sleep.”

“Sleep? I’m not staying here,” Blake said. All of this had taken a weird turn. Weiss didn’t seem scared at all that she’d been kidnapped. Now, she was bossing Blake around like one of her servants.

Weiss rolled her eyes. “So you’re just going to let your victim stay here by themselves? What if someone comes and finds me when you’re not here? Then, I can tell them what happened and send you away to prison. You’ve never done this before, have you? You’re doing a very poor job so far. I’m unimpressed.”

She felt like she was going to blow a blood vessel. “WHAT- you-I… ugh! You are so annoying!” She regained her composure and spoke in her usual even tone. “Stay here on the couch. Do not move. I’ll turn on the fan, and I’ll stay here tonight. If you continue to bother me, I’ll wring your neck. Got it?”

Weiss ignored her threats and settled comfortably into her position. “While you’re turning on the fan, can you fetch me a glass of water?”

After Blake walked upstairs from the basement, she threw herself onto the mattress of the masterbedroom and screamed as loud as she could into a pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just remember, it is both immoral and illegal to hide from the police in a blind woman's home, kidnap an heiress, and use someone's vacation home as a place to hold your hostage. This isn't a crime AU for nothing. Hope you guys enjoyed (:


	8. Questions and Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are several miscalculations made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m alive.

“Qrow I’m kinda busy right now.” Clover muttered as his boyfriend silently approached him and started to shake his shoulder.

The shaking continued until Clover set down his pen and looked up at the other man. Qrow’s eyes were wide and he was silently waving a piece of paper in front of Clover's face.

“What’s that?” Qrow couldn’t respond. He shoved the paper into Clover’s chest. “Okay, you’re really freaking me out right now, babe.”

He glanced at Qrow once more before turning his attention to the paper. “A letter to the Vale Police department,” Clover read aloud and tried to analyze the handwriting. “If you wish for information, you may be interested in visiting this location in downtown Vale. It will be in your best interest to act quickly.”

While the words were intriguing alone, Clover felt all of the air leave his body as he caught sight of the small symbol stamped on the bottom of the paper.

The Branwen gang symbol.

\-------------------

“Neptune! Where did all of the coffee cups go- uh oh.” Sun looked around, trying to locate his friend.

“Neptune!” He saw blue hair poke around the corner of the kitchen. His voice dropped into a harsh whisper. “Neptune, look outside the window. There’s cops everywhere.”

The man shrugged and turned to look Sun in the eye. “Maybe they’re finally going to arrest that Cinder lady from across the street. I swear, she tries to give her customers food poisoning.”

“No, dude! They’re coming in here!” Two men walked into the cafe, followed by a group of police officers.

Neptune ran into the back of the kitchen while Sun stared at the two men approaching the counter. He put on a wide smile and tried to hide the nervousness he felt.

“Hello officers. What can I do for you?”

“We’re here because we believe this place may hold valuable information regarding members of the Branwen gang.” Clover opened his coat pocket and handed Sun a photo. “Have you seen either of these women visit this establishment before?”

The first thing Sun noticed in the picture was a tall woman with long, curly blonde hair. She looked very similar to Raven Branwen, he realized as he got a good look at her facial features. However, the woman next to her made his eyes snap wide open. His heart started to race because the other woman was Blake.

The girl who he tried to hit on yesterday. The girl who he gave his phone number to.

Noticing his frightened expression, Qrow steps forward and stares directly at Sun.

“You’ve seen them?” He asked, expression sharp and intense. Sun weakly shakes his head, but Qrow and Clover give him an unimpressed look.

“I don’t want to have to arrest you for anything, so just tell us what you know and we’ll get out of your hair. It’s extremely important, because if ya can’t tell, that girl is Raven Branwen’s daughter.” He stops to point at Blake in the picture. “And this is her accomplice. Now, we’ll ask again. Have either of these women come in here before?”

“Yes.” Sun says simply and pauses.

“Well, tell us more. We want all of the details.” Clover says.

“Uh, yeah only one came in here. It was yesterday morning.” Sun swallows and tries to stop his tail from twitching behind him. “The blonde one came in here. She, uh, was alone and ordered a coffee and some food.”

He waited for the mens’ responses. He was almost telling the truth.

Immediately, Qrow began asking questions about anything she said, what she was wearing, which direction she left the store. Sun did his best to hide his nerves and to keep his story straight.

“And cameras? Is there any footage we could possibly see from yesterday?” Clover asked as he stopped writing the details down in a small notepad.

Sun thanked the heavens that the cameras had been broken last week. Well, him and Neptune accidentally broke the cameras last week. “No, we don’t have cameras anymore. We were supposed to get them replaced, but it never happened, I guess. See, that’s where they used to be.”

Qrow sighed and rubbed a hand against his face. “Okay, I think that’s everything then.”

“Yes, thank you for your cooperation.” Clover replies and hands Sun his information. Once the police cars leave the parking lot, Sun starts to panic.

“Did you just lie to the police about Blake?!” Neptune whispers/yells as he creeps out from behind the kitchen. “And she’s working with Raven Branwen’s daughter? You lied for Raven Branwen’s daughter’s accomplice!”

“I know what I did, man, and I’m freaking out!”

“Okay, you have to cut all ties with her. Because if they catch her and find your name in her phone, they’re going to think you’ve been helping them out.” Neptune tried to reason, but Sun shook his head.

“I can’t just delete her number! I gotta like, call her or something. I need to warn her.”

Neptune throws his hands up in the air in exasperation. “Why would you warn her, dude? What if she’s like a murderer or something?”

Sun pulls out his scroll and finds Blake’s number. “I don’t know, but I want to hear from her of what she has to say. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. Especially not another faunus.”

\-----------------

Blake wakes up to her scroll buzzing loudly into her ears. She groans and flings out her arm to reach the device sitting on top of her nightstand. For a moment, she doesn’t understand the name flashing across her screen, until she realizes it’s Sun who's calling her.

“THE POLICE LOOKING AFTER YOU?” He sounds hysterical. “They asked if I saw you, and I lied and said I didn’t! I lied to the police, Blake!”

Blake groans and tries to sort all of the thoughts in her head. “Calm down, Sun. Just breath for a second.”

“NO. Why are they looking for you? Why are you associated with the Branwen gang?” She hears a sharp gasp from him. “Are you the Vale Strangler?! Oh my God, you are!”

“What? No, Sun I’m not the Vale Strangler. That’s just a myth, anyway. Those people all died from some weird drug imported from Atlas.”

That was definitely one of Junior least successful business investments, Blake thought to herself.

“How do you know about that?! Blake?!”

Blake started to explain, “You’re overreacting. I just got into a little trouble for...shoplifting and working with some questionable people. Nothing too bad.”

“Shoplifting? Nothing too bad? Dude, the police are out searching for you. How could that be any worse?”

He continues to ramble on and Blake eventually cuts him off, “well, thank you for not ratting me out, Sun. Really. It was such a nice thing to do...but, you need to let me do the rest. I don’t want you to get involved, so delete my number and forget about all of this, alright?”

“Wait, no! Blake, I didn’t tell you-”

Before he could finish, Blake takes the scroll away from her head and hangs up. Hopefully, she’d only have to spend a few days inside this house. She knew her plan wasn’t well thought out. Once Jaques Schnee gave her the money, she would have the police after her. Weiss would give them her description, and her face would be in the system.

However, Blake knew how to disappear. It’s one of her greatest strengths. Once she gets the money, then bails Yang out, they could run away and start somewhere new. It would be better this time too with the millions of dollars they’ll surely have from Jaques. Erasing yourself from the world is ten times easier when you’ve got a substantial amount of money.

For now, it was time to go downstairs and make sure that Weiss hadn’t tried something. Surprisingly, the captive woman was merely laying on the couch. She hardly even glanced at Blake, seeming annoyed to have been woken up.

“Would you close the door? You’re letting all of the light in. I am still wanting to sleep!” She complained.

Blake felt her head start to hurt. “Why are you acting like you’re in charge? You’re not! You’re literally tied up and locked inside a basement! You do not have the upper hand here!” Weiss rolled her eyes and motioned to the television.

“Turn it on.” She simply stated.

“Why?”

“Turn on the news. See what they’re saying.”

Blake felt sick all of the sudden. Is that why they were asking Sun if he had seen her? Not because of her relation to Yang, but because they know that she has Weiss? It hasn’t even been twelve hours! They couldn’t have already started a search party for her…

Grabbing the remote, Blake turns on the news. Lisa Lavender's face appears and her tone is serious.

“The City Council of Vale has a very important message for the citizens of Remnant. They want to remind all of us… that when we recycle cans and bottles, there is no need to wash them out before disposal. All it does is waste water. Now, back to the weather with Pyrha Nikos.”

Blake blinks in confusion, then lets out a huge sigh of relief. There wasn’t a search party for Weiss. They must be trying to find Blake because Yang's not giving them the information they need.

“They haven’t called for a search party yet. All I want is a tiny fraction of your father’s wealth. As soon as he hands it over, you’ll be free to go.” She stood to prepare for the next step, but Weiss laughs at her.

“Ha! You really did not think this plan through. Your face is going to be phenomenal once you figure out!” Blake didn’t like how the heiress was responding, because she didn’t understand what exactly Weiss knew.

\------------

“Why would Raven give us information about where her daughter’s been? It makes no sense!” Back at the station, Qrow paces around the room while Clover tries to make sense of the new details they have just received.

“Maybe she’s trying to throw the attention off of herself and use the girl as a distraction.” Clover supplies, but he couldn’t understand why Branwen would do that to her own daughter in the first place. Perhaps, the two weren’t working together after all?

“She wouldn’t use her daughter as a distraction. Someone else, sure, but not family.” Clover’s eyebrows raise at that comment.

“Family doesn’t seem to matter to her though. You’ve said it yourself, Qrow. Look what she’s done to you…”

Qrow stops abruptly and thinks to himself before speaking. “She doesn’t view family like any sane person does, but she would never try to set her daughter up just to distract the police from finding her. She left me because she believed I was holding her back. I was weak. She didn’t use me after that revelation because I meant nothing to her.” He stares at the tile and clenches his jaw, trying to push down memories of the past. “If Raven decided her daughter was holding the gang back, then that girl wouldn’t even be worth the effort to acknowledge.”

His shoulders slump and he can’t stop the self deprecating comments from running through his head. A pair of hands find themselves on top of his shoulders and he meets Clover’s eyes. Warmth and understanding is what he finds looking into the other man’s eyes. Two things Qrow could never get used to, but he didn’t care. He’d finally found someone who wasn’t going to hurt him.

“I don’t know what this all means either, but I do know that what happened to you wasn’t your fault. It never was. And-” he paused to tilt Qrow’s head up- “maybe that girl doesn’t have a choice. Maybe, it’s not her fault either.”

Qrow sighs against clover’s shoulder. “God, my sister’s an asshole isn’t she?”

Both men erupt into laughter and continue to lean against one another until they hear Marrow knocking on the door. They would end this mess. Qrow knew they would.  
\-------------------------------

“After you’ve finished pulling out the weeds from the tomato patch, grab the watering can and water my peach trees! Don’t drown them like you did to my blueberries, though.”

Yang wiped her forehead and groaned at Maria’s commands. Her definition of helping meant Yang did all of the work while the old woman sat on the porch and drank lemonade.

“How could you possibly tell that I drowned your blueberries? You’re blind.”

Maria shook her cane and yelled, “thank you for reminding me. I forgot I haven’t been able to see for ten years. Now, I have someone here to remind me of my disability every second of the day. I must have won the lottery.”

She’d already heard that three times today. It wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the heat, Yang thought. She struggled with hot temperatures, since she already ran warm.

If only I was on the beach right now.

The beach reminded Yang of the time Blake and her went to the coast for a weekend. They spent all day and all night outside, swimming and talking with one another. One of the rare occasions where they weren’t running from something.

“AH! You jerk! You splashed my ears,” Blake yelled and shoved Yang. She fell onto her bottom and felt a wave nearly knock her over.

“Oh, I thought you meant your human ears. I didn’t know the kitty ears were off limits too!” Yang squealed as Blake kneeled to her level and started to push her down into the water. Yang’s hair that was in a ponytail eventually dunked under a wave, and she gave an overdramatic cry.

“No! My hair’s going to be all salty now, Blake!” She complained, but Blake only smirked.

“My ears and your hair were off limits, and you broke the rules by splashing me first. I had every right to retaliate.” Yang huffed and glared playfully.

They both sat in the shallow water, facing one another. “Still, my hair’s going to look so bad now.”

She could already tell her hair was about to become a giant mess of thick curls. The saltwater always made her hair even more curly, which she found somewhat embarrassing.

“I don’t think it looks bad,” Blake said softly. She brought her hand up to a strand that was curling itself near Yang’s face. “I think it’s really nice.”

“Even when it does-” she motioned to the now shorter but curlier ponytail- “this?”

The other girl nodded and brushed her hand against the area where Yang had pointed to. Her finger gently carded through the blonde hair until they reached the bottom. Yang held her breath the entire time with her eyes closed, loving the sensation of someone touching her hair. She never let anyone touch it. Not for years.

“I love the curls. They look really pretty.” Her eyes widened, and it appeared that Blake had not meant to utter that last part out. Trying to fix her mistake, Blake withdrew her hand and stood up from the sand. “Lets go get something to eat.”

Yang stayed still for a moment and tried to bask in the fleeting feeling of comfort she had just experienced. They weren’t ready to talk about it yet, but at the time she didn’t care. They seemed to have all of the time in the world to figure out what they meant to each other.

Now, sitting in dirt with Maria yelling in the background, Yang realized that she was stupid for hiding from Blake.

A wooden cane comes into view, moving up and down trying to locate the blonde's exact location. The wood finds Yang's leg and the old woman turns to face her.

“Here. Take this and come with me on the porch.” The old woman handed her a tall glass of lemonade and gestured to the rocking chairs.

They sat down wordlessly while Yang chugged the glass. Maria turned her head towards Yang, trying to listen closely to the younger girl.

“Any reason why you decided to go into a trance back there?” She asked, trying to sound indifferent, but Yang could hear in her voice that there was genuine interest.

“I don’t know, I think it was just the heat.” She muttered and placed the empty glass down onto the ground. “I’ve never been able to last a long time outside when it’s hot. Without water, anyway.”

Maria didn’t respond, she only nodded her head and continued to listen to the noises from the woods. After a few minutes, Yang stood to continue her work. She almost liked working out in the garden. It gave her a good reason to not think about the past. What could have been. If only it wasn’t so damn hot.

However, before she could start walking, Maria spoke up, “that’s enough yard work for the day. You can help inside some. There’s dusting to be done, and it would be nice for someone else to cook for a change.” She paused for a moment, then finished in a softer tone. “There’s no need to get heat stroke out there. Better if you just stay inside for a while.”

Her eyebrows raised and she stood there speechless for a moment.

When was the last time anyone besides Blake wanted to take care of her?

Even if the old woman acted tough, Yang had a feeling that somewhere, deep down, Maria had a kind heart.

Without thinking, Yang asked, "how come you live alone out here?"

"You think just because I'm old and can't see I need someone to live here with me?" She shot back defensively. That always seemed to be her first response to everything. Anger. Yang couldn't help but realize they may be more similar than she had first figured.

Yang shook her head, but realized she had to verbalize what she was thinking. "No. For an old bat you get along just fine by yourself. You just seem... I don't know like someone who would like to be able to talk to people."

"You don't know me, girl. You're young and haven't dealt with life like I have. You eventually learn that some people were just meant to live alone. And I'm one of them." She stood up from the rocking chair and made her ways toward the front door.

"Did you always feel like that?" Yang asked, halfway afraid she was about to get yelled at.

Maria stopped walking and responded softly, "Yes, I think I've always known that I'd be alone."

Yang watched the woman walk further into the room, not believing her words for one second.

\----------------------

Blake looked at her surroundings and decided she was ready. She bought a burner, a scroll that would be nearly untrackable, to make the call to Jaques Schnee. She also had a small device that would change her voice; making it impossible to determine her gender.

Weiss told her his personal number without any hesitance, then demanded that Blake should fetch her a neck pillow (Blake did not comply). She would call, tell him that his daughter was here, then discuss the payment details. She would only take cash, they would meet and she wouldn’t let Weiss go until she had all of the money.

“Oh, are you making your little phone call now?” Weiss asked as she propped her feet up onto the coffee table.

“Yes I am.” Blake took out an object from her pocket and moved near the other woman. “Now, open your mouth. I don’t want you talking to him.”

Weiss rolled her eyes, but took the rolled up bandana into her mouth.

Breathing in deeply, Blake types in the number and presses call. It rings for a long time, until on the last ring it connects.

Jaques Schnee’s voice answers the call. “Hello, is this the man I spoke to earlier regarding the Haven contract?”

“No,” Blake started and mentally ran through the speech she created. “Jaques Schnee, I have your missing daughter here with me, now. I haven’t hurt her, yet, but I will if you do not agree to my terms.”

“Ha! Like I don’t hear this once a week. You have my daughter, you have my son blah blah blah-” Blake switched the setting on the scroll so he could see Weiss, laying on the couch.

“Like I said, I have your daughter, and I am not afraid to harm her if you do not comply.” She shifted the camera away from the heiress for a second, because Weiss was rolling her eyes at the camera. Blake shot her a death glare.

“Oh.” The man uttered as he saw his daughter bound. “Weiss is that really you? What is it that you… want?”

“I’m asking for money. You have more than any man or corporation should ever have possession of, so I am expecting a generous amount.” Feeling a surge of power, Blake began to lecture. “For years, you have exploited your workers for your corrupt business tactics. You have ruined the lives of many faunus and human citizens of Remnant with your malicious intents and-”

“Right. Right. How much are you asking for,” he said, sounding extremely bored by her speech.

“Umm, as a starting price I am asking- no, demanding, five million. That is the same amount of money you paid the owner of Tukson's library before turning it into a shopping mall. It serves as a symbol to your deceitful practices and-”

“Oh, stop with your little tangent. I’m crooked, you’re angry, whatever. It’s all very tiring, you know.” She can hear him tap his fingers against his desk and hum to himself. “So… what will you do if I don’t give you the money?” He asked.

Blake’s eyes widened. She wasn't expecting him to say that. Why didn't he just want to hand over the money now?

“If you do not send me the money in five hours, you will watch your daughter suffer. If you call the police, I’ll kill her.” She kept her voice steady, unwavering. She needed him to believe her words. “I hacked into your scroll and can view who you call. I’ll know if you call for help.

That part was a lie, but Blake decided to add it to scare the man. Even if he did eventually call the police eventually, it could still buy her some time.

Silence rang on the other side, until Jaques spoke up, “can you give me just one moment, please?”

\--------------

Jaques Schnee sat at his desk and pondered. They’d actually kidnapped his daughter.

“Klein,” he called, needing his servant.

“Yes, Mr. Schnee?” The man answered.

“Can you fetch Arthur Watts? I need his opinion on something rather important.” The short man nodded and went out into the hall to find Jaque’s financial advisor. Watts helped Jaques recently with his new businesses he developed in downtown Vale. He was getting richer by the second, and Watts knew exactly how to keep the process going. He should know what to do.

“You called?” Watts asked as he shut the door to Mr. Schnee’s office.

“Yes, I did. I’m currently in a predicament, you might say.”

“Oh?”

Mr. Schnee hummed for a moment then spoke, “Weiss has been kidnapped, and they are setting her ransom for five million.”

Watts hardly batted an eye at this piece of information. “You are hesitant to pay? Five million is nothing compared to your current wealth.”

“The price is not the issue. It’s more of what I believe will happen in the aftermath of all of this. You know Weiss. That girl’s been trying to break out of my hold for a few years now. She’ll become a celebrity. Reporters will want to talk to her, interview her.” He exhaled and scratched his chin. “If she gains publicity, I fear her and her sister may use it to harm my reputation. Winter would do whatever it takes to steal my company for herself.”

“You don’t want Weiss to have the opportunity to speak out against you?” Watts stated more than asked and picked up a cup of tea for himself.

“Precisely. Of course I don’t want her killed, but I don’t like the idea of losing all I’m worth to my own two daughters.” He sighed and continued. “Also, they claim to know if I call the police, which I don’t believe. But, if I do call the police, Ebi and his team will find her themselves, and she can use that narrative against me. She’ll say I refused to pay her ransom. That she escaped on her own. That would be even worse than the other scenarios.”

Watts nods in agreement, then simply states, “then don’t pay the ransom. Don’t call the police. Chances are, they won’t kill her.” He stands up to leave and places the teacup on the edge of the desk. “They’re probably way over their head as it is. Ignoring it will give you time to formulate a better plan.”

Turning back to his scroll, Mr. Schnee unmutes his device and begins to speak.

\-----------------------

The camera turns on, and Mr. Schnee’s face reappears. He’s angrily waving his fist in an unconvincing manner, and starts to speak, “Oh, brothers. Five million!? That’s a substantial amount, you fiend! I have no way of paying that at the moment. You just wait, you rapscallion. I’ll get you for this.”

He stops talking, then turns off his camera. His voice goes from fake rafe to completely normal. “Hang in there, Weiss. I’ll get the money there as soon as I can. Stay strong for daddy. Farewell.”

With that, the conversation ends and Blake stands there flabbergasted. She looks at Weiss who would be laughing at her right now if it wasn’t for the fact she was gagged.

“What- What was that?! I’ll get it later? He has two-hundred billion dollars! Five million is nothing to him!” Blake yanks the bandana out of the heiress’s mouth, desperate for an answer.

“I knew the look on your face would be hilarious.” Blake gave her a bewildered look, causing Weiss to sigh. “You think my father would come and save me? He knows that the first chance I get to break away from his control will ultimately be his downfall. My sister and I have spent our whole lives trying to flee from his reign, and he knows it. This is the perfect opportunity to do so. He’s scared that I’ll come out of this as a hero and let the entire world know just how much of a despicable man he is.”

Blake puts a hand to her forehead and tries to process this information. She royally fucked this up.

“Honestly, I thank you. Well, once the police realize I’ve been gone and come and find me I’ll have you arrested, but this is exactly the chance I needed. The news channels will interview me before my father can come and lock me away. I’ll have mother take down the cameras she has inside the house.” Blake stared at the woman, horrified. “Don’t worry. You’ll get to see me expose my father on the television in prison. You can even tell your cellmates you helped! Oh, this is a wonderful day.”

Numbly, Blake stumbled to the back of the basement and crawled upstairs. Weiss called for her, stating that she wants a piece of paper and a pencil to start working on her speech she’ll give when Lisa Lavender invites her on Vale’s News Channel. Blake has done something horrible. Deeply, utterly, horrible.

She throws herself onto the mattress of the master bedroom and stares at the wall, attempting to block out all thoughts that her mind tries to form. However, her ears pick up as the TV breaks into a news story. She snaps up and stares at the screen.

“- detective Clover Ebi’s speech earlier today informed the city that the Vale Police department is actively searching for the whereabouts of Raven Branwen’s daughter who was last seen at a small cafe located in downtown Vale. Security cameras at a hotel Branwen frequented have caught her, as well as an accomplice. Both women are being searched for and-”

Actively searching?! That meant… Yang wasn’t arrested.

She couldn’t help herself from feeling giddy at that revelation for a split second. That meant that Yang had gotten away! She wasn’t locked up in some cell right now being terrorized.

However, that feeling of happiness disappeared as soon as Blake hears Weiss’s voice from downstairs.

“Blake! Can you get me something to eat? I’m starting to get hungry!”

She didn’t need the money to bail Yang out because Yang never got caught. That means Yang’s out somewhere fending for herself, while Blake has Weiss Schnee as a hostage for no reason.

“Blake! Are you still up there? I would like something to eat, please!”

Weiss Schnee, whose father doesn’t want to take her back. Weiss Schnee, who keeps screaming at Blake to feed her.

Blake swears her soul leaves her body that very moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one knows what’s going on and honestly good for them.


End file.
